Realize
by TStabler
Summary: He left, and she broke. Now that he's back, he hopes he can fix her. He hopes she'll realize that what is between them is more powerful than anything else in the world, and worth fighting for. They both know, though, it's never gonna be that simple. EO
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A new one. One-shot, maybe more...I must warn you, it's not that simple.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong only to Dick Wolf. This story belongs to TStabler©**

_It isn't that simple._

She hears the words over and over in her head as she walks away from the station. His voice rings in her ears. The darkness of his eyes flashes in her mind every time she blinks.

_It isn't that simple._

She brings a hand to her lips, her fingers running lightly over them, feeling them still tingling where they'd briefly touched his. Before he'd pushed her away, before he'd cursed himself for letting it happen, before he'd looked her in the eyes and told her he loved her. Before he'd said it.

_"But it isn't that simple."_

That's when she'd snapped. "Simple? This isn't simple for you, but running away was? Leaving me alone for the last seven months was easier for you than this is? Well, then, fuck, Elliot, why don't you just go back to your cave and leave me alone again? Huh? I mean, shit, your timing is fucking impeccable because I was almost over you!"

He'd tried to interrupt her, but she'd long passed the point of caring. "Yeah, I said almost! I have a date tonight, you son of a bitch! I'd finally given up hope, and I finally let myself go and I meet this great guy, and he likes me, so I think I can finally date someone without thinking about you! And then all of a sudden you show up, ask if we can talk, take me up here...get me to pity you, get me to forgive you, get me to kiss you...kiss you! And then you're the one that pushes me away? You're the one that decides it's _not... that... simple_? Go to hell, Stabler."

She hadn't looked over her shoulder, she'd just taken off. Her heart's beating faster and harder than it ever has now, her feet are hitting the sidewalk at a punishing pace, and she can taste the salt of her tears as they slide down to her lips. She wipes her eyes, sniffles, and that when she runs into something large, firm, hard.

"Liv," the name rolls off his tongue so softly, it's almost as if he hasn't said it at all. "I didn't mean..."

"What the hell...did you fucking fly?" she asks, interrupting him. "I ran. Fucking fast. You weren't behind me, I made sure you..."

"I drove," he cuts her off, his large, calloused hand cupping her chin. He tries to smile as he looks into her eyes. "I got in the car, I drove around the block, and I waited here for you. I knew you'd..."

She shakes her head out of his grip and scoffs. "What part of anything I said back there makes you think I want to talk to you right now?"

He brings both of his hands to her face now, holding her steady, looking her in the eyes. "You flipped out on me, baby. It's not that simple...I meant, we can't just rush into this. I can't dive into this with you like I was about to up in the cribs. I need to take my time with you, if you even want..."

She watches him stumble, watches him swallow. "So now you care what I want?"

"Liv," he breathes her name again; for him, it's like praying. "Please, I...if you want me to go, I will, but...you deserved an explanation. You deserved to know everything, and a phone call wasn't right." He brushes her hair back and kisses her forehead. "When I kissed you...I was being selfish. I saw something...someone...I have been waiting for, for what seems like an eternity, right in front of me. But you've got a life that doesn't include me now. I didn't think of that when I..."

"My life," she interrupts, her eyes narrow and her jaw clenched, "Will always include you. That's why it hurt so much when you..." she stops, even thinking about it hurts, and she shakes her head. "You should have told me. You shouldn't have had to go through all of that alone, and fuck, I didn't deserve to be miserable for so fucking long without you."

He laughs, as much as his guilt will allow him to, and he kisses each of her cheeks. "You didn't," he whispers to her. "But you didn't deserve the man I was, then, either. I knew I had to stay away so I wouldn't blame you, so I wouldn't take out all of my anger and guilt on you, because you are the only person in the world that didn't deserve it."

She blinks again, feeling the sting of tears at the back of her eyes again. She knows he's right, but part of her wants to make him work for what he wants, make him suffer like she has suffered without him. "What time is it?"

"Eight-thirty," he answers with a smirk. He presses a chaste kiss to her lips. "This...us...isn't that simple. Not anymore. I know that. I want...I need to start over with you."

"I can't just wipe the last twelve years from my memory, El," she says as she tilts her head, wondering what he means.

His eyes widen and he turns a pallid yellow color. "God, no, I don't want that...I meant...if I had gone to you that night, after...after what happened...I would have hopped into your bed without a second thought, and then I would have shut you out, I would have hurt you. We both know that." He runs his hands down her cheeks, her neck, her sides, and rests them on her hips. "That's why I left, and coming back..."

"You came back," she interjects. "You went through a divorce, a custody battle, you moved, and you've been working with Brooklyn Homicide...without me, so...why now? Why did you come back, El? A solid answer would be great."

He takes a deep breath and he knows he has to spit it out, plain English, no more dancing, no more metaphors. "I came back, single and stable, ready to be everything you wanted from me, that I couldn't be for you before. I came back, for you. My partner, my best friend, and hopefully..."

"I have a date, El," she looks away as she speaks. "I'm sorry. You can't just walk out and in whenever the hell you want and expect..." she stops. She turns, and her eyes widen. Her mouth opens just a bit and it's easy to see the light bulb flicker. "Oh, my God. That's exactly what I did to you. Twice."

"This is different," he says, assuring her that she has no blame in this. "Believe me, Liv, I...I don't expect you to drop everything for me. Go...go on your date. When you get back...we'll talk."

She bites her lip, thinking, then she asks, "Your place or mine?"

"You don't know where I live, now," he says with a chuckle.

Her eyes close, she sighs, and her head drops. "Yeah," she whispers. "I do."

He furrows his brow, he blinks rapidly for a moment, and he tilts his head. "Hang on," he says, a realization hitting him. "I didn't tell you about my job with Brook...Liv, how did you know about..."

"I missed you, Elliot," she says, her voice breathy and shaky as she tries to hold back the tears. "I just...I wanted to know why...why you..." she pauses, her voice cutting out, and she cups her mouth with her hand. She takes a deep breath, one that hurts her lungs, and she shakes her head.

"Liv," he begins, no longer confused but worried. "Liv, don't cry."

She backs away from him. "I ran your name through the system, okay?" she snaps. "Every Friday, Six PM, like I was programmed. I kept praying I wouldn't find an obituary, or find out you moved to Florida or something. When you..."

"Divorce records, the transcripts from my custody case," he lists, "The real estate listings of the house, my transfer into Brooklyn..." he shakes his head in disbelief. "You knew. About everything."

She scoffs as she nods. "I had to find out from a search engine, Elliot! I have seen you at your worst! I've been there when you were accused of murder, when you went blind, when you almost died...I stood right beside you when Kathy filed for divorce the first time, when she took you back, when you almost lost her and your son..."

She wipes the tears as they stream down from her eyes, unstoppable now. "I was there for you when your daughter was in trouble, when your son was trouble...so tell me, what the fuck was so horrible that you didn't want me there? Why couldn't you have just picked up the phone, or come by the apartment? You have a fucking key, Elliot! It could have been three in the morning, and I wouldn't have cared."

He takes a step forward, he wraps her in his arms, and he feels her whole body shudder as she cries, her head buried in his chest and her tears soaking his shirt. "Baby, please...stop." He kisses the crown of her head, pulls her tighter into him, and he whispers. "Everything you just said...Liv, you've been saving me for years. I needed to do this one on my own, away from you. I didn't want you trying to convince Kathy to stay, I didn't want you telling me it wasn't my fault, I wanted to deal with it all on my own. I had to save myself so I could come back to you and..."

"Save me?" she asks, sniffling. She doesn't realize how tight she's holding him until she tries to move and feel her arms ache. "Why do you think you need to save me?"

"Not save you, Liv," he whispers, urging her head up so he could look into her eyes. "Love you." He watches her eyes light up, her head straighten, and he sees the tears stop running. "Yeah, you heard me."

She blinks twice, sniffles once, and looks up into the blue eyes she's missed so much. She moves the tiniest bit, giving in to her desire to kiss him, when it hits her. "I have to go," she breathes against his lips. "I have..."

"I know," he whispers. "I'll be waiting for you when you get back. Your place."

She nods, offers him a smile, and wipes her eyes one last time. Just when she had believed she could make it through a date without a single thought of Elliot Stabler, he's made sure that he is all she'd be thinking about tonight. She smiles as she rounds the corner, heading for the restaurant, and she realizes that she doesn't even mind thinking about him tonight. In fact, she welcomes it. It feels like home. But, she admits to herself as she stops in front of the door and catches her dates eyes through the glass, it's not that simple.

**A/N: Um...**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: All it takes is a moment to realize...**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story**

She opens the door and fumbles in the dark for the light switch, sighing when the room comes into focus, along with his face. "You're here," she notes, not a question, not a statement, but an observation.

"Where else would I be?" he quips, bringing the near-empty bottle to his lips. "Did you have fun?"

She scoffs. She takes off her jacket and hangs it up as she says, "I came back alone. It couldn't have been that much fun."

He grunts, sips his beer, and tilts his head. "You gonna tell me his name?"

"No," she says. Her reply is quick as she drops into the couch beside him and yanks the bottle out of his hand. She lifts it to her mouth and drinks, unconcerned and unapologetic.

He chuckles. "Really?"

"My beer," she breathes, dropping the empty bottle to the coffee table. "You wanted to talk. Talk." She folds her arms and twists to face him, but keeps her distance. She doesn't trust herself with him. She never has.

"Come on," he sighs. "I already apologized, can you stop..."

"Can you give me the last seven months back?" she snaps, and she knows how bitchy it sounds. "I think I'm allowed to still be pissed."

He rolls his eyes, but he nods. She's right. "Yeah," he says, shaking his head. "So, uh...this guy. You gonna see him again?"

"Maybe," she retorts, knowing that she's irritating him, but she's decided to be honest with him tonight. "I think it might be a good idea."

He takes another deep breath and he closes his eyes. "Look," he says, his voice lower than he'd intended, "I know you...I know I hurt you, but...like you said, Liv, we can't just erase the last twelve years. I don't want to just pick up where we left off, but I hope you can feel what you felt..."

"Where we left off?" she breaks in, ignoring his suggestion about her feelings. "You mean, when you shot a kid and ran away?" She stands, fuming now, and her hands fly as she speaks. "When you never returned a single call, never answered a single text or e-mail? When you dropped off the face of the earth and left me alone? Because that's where we fucking left off, Elliot!"

He's stunned. "Liv, I..."

"And don't you dare even pretend to know what I felt!" she interrupts, finally facing it all at once. "If you, for a single goddamned second, expect me to think you felt a fucking ounce of what I felt for you, then you need to go back to fucking therapy, Elliot, because you're still fucking crazy!" She turns her back on him and heads for her bedroom.

He rises, he runs to her, and he gets in her way. "That was low," he sneers. "You wanna know what I talked about in therapy? Huh?"

"Not really," she barks, stepping aside to pass him.

He moves, too, stopping her again, and this time his face is so much closer to hers. "You," he barely breathes.

As her heart stops, she raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he snorts, "You." He twists his body, forcing her into the corner of the room, pinning her between himself and the wall. "You came up...God, every time I opened my mouth. You fucking haunted me for the last seven months. Don't you get it?"

She swallows hard and blinks only once, turning on every bit of imperceptibility she has, hoping he can't read her mind or sense her fear. "Enlighten me," she bites.

"I realized...when I killed Jen...that girl," he swallows the rising bile as he thinks the girl's name, and he shivers. He opens his eyes and stares into Olivia's. "Do you remember when I said all I had left in the world was my job...and you?"

"Remember?" she laughs. "Christ, Elliot, I hear you say that over and over...every time I close my eyes. It's the first time you ever lied to me."

"I didn't lie to you," he growls, his eyes flashing as he presses deeper into her. He takes a calming breath as his nostrils flare twice. "Liv...when I shot...her...I realized that at that moment, I didn't have my job anymore. All that was left, as soon as I pulled that trigger...was you."

Her eyes widen and her heart stops, for the second time in a matter of minutes, and she blinks at him again.

"You," he repeats, seeing her confusion, and her refusal to believe it. "I had to leave. I had to...I had to deal with that, knowing that my family was gone, everything I'd built up in the last twenty years died with that girl, except what I had...with you. I needed to find a way to..."

"That makes...that doesn't make any sense," she mumbles, trying desperately to move but only rubbing against his wall of a body. A small moan escapes, she can't help it, and she looks up at him. "You left me, because I was all you had? You ran from the only person you had left in the world? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

He laughs, his hands find their way to her face and he cups her chin. "I told you I was in therapy," he shrugs.

Her face freezes, but then she tenses. Her body goes rigid and she finds the strength to push him away. "You have balls, Stabler!" she yells. "How dare you...come back after...and expect me to...and then you say these things that..." she throws her hands up and lets out a frustrated growling scream. "Fuck you!" she shouts.

"If that's not the goddamned pot calling the fucking kettle black," he yells back. "What the fuck was the computer crimes shit, huh? Oregon? You admitted it yourself before you went on that joke of a date! What goes around comes around, Olivia! Why did you even come back after that? Huh?"

"Why the fuck do you think, asshole?" she snaps. "The same reason you did!"

Without a moment's hesitation, he grips her shoulders and shoves her back against the wall again, his lips are on hers and his hands slide over her arms. He grips and grasps for every bit of her body, squeezing and feeling and holding. His throat closes and he gasps for air every time he moves his mouth over hers.

She moans, despite her anger and clear annoyance, and her own hands are paving a path down his back.

Their breathing quickens, their moans find a sweet synchronized syncopation as their bodies grind together. They're losing, they're falling, and they're not sorry.

He shudders and moans louder when he feels her hands scratching up and down his back. He realizes she's up under his shirt, her skin feels so good on his, and it's just another thing it's taken him far too long to realize. It's a feeling he never wants to live without. "Liv," he breathes, pulling her away from the wall. "Fuck, Liv," he mumbles against her lips.

She can do little more than moan once more, whether it's in agreement or dismissal is a thing she has yet to decide, but she splays her palms flat over the flesh of his back and pushes against him as he leads her toward the couch.

He's managed to work his hands back up to her face, holding her as he kisses her, trying to convince himself she's really there, and it's not one of his many hallucinations of her. He sweeps his thumbs over the smooth skin of her cheeks, and that's when he pulls back.

She sniffles, her eyes are still closed, and she seems too lost to know she's crying. She opens her eyes and the sight of him before her, flushed with the red, raw lips that have been devouring her for the last several minutes is more than she can take, and she cries just a bit harder.

He catches her, wrapping her tightly in his arms again, and his lips find hers again as he lets his own tears build and fall. "I'm sorry," he whispers, the tenth time he's said it to her.

"For kissing me?" she asks with another sniffle. "Then stop," she says, but her lips still kiss him back, her tongue still eagerly flicks over his, her hands still grip whatever bits of him they can.

"No," he laughs, pulling her closer. He lingers for a full minute, kissing her deeply, then he peels away from her and looks into her eyes. "For leaving you," he says. "But I had to. And now I...I have to...Liv, I..." he breathes and he wipes his eyes, then he wipes hers.

"You have to do it again?" she grits, her jaw clenched and her eyes narrow.

"No!" he shouts. "God, no! No!" he affirms, holding her by the arms to keep her from pulling too far away. "I was just...I have to know if...if you want me to stay." He bites his lip, he doesn't blink. "If you want to...if you want me in your life. Not as your partner. Not as your friend."

She tilts her head and the questions race through her mind. "I'm not gonna jump right into..."

"Dinner. A movie." He knows he's interrupting her again, and he's aware of how much she hates it. "Or...a walk. We can go for a walk. I'll...I'll meet you here, every morning for your run. I'll run with you. Coffee? We can get coffee on your lunch..."

"Slow down!" she laughs. "Are you...are you trying to ask me..."

"Out. Yes." He nods and he feels his heart drumming against his chest. "We did the partner thing, we did the friend thing, shit, we even did the family thing. I wanna...I wanna work toward something more than that, something better. That starts with...a date. I guarantee you'll have more fun with me than you had with that asshole reporter tonight."

She squints. "How did you know I was with..." and her eyes go from squinting to rolling. "El, he's not an asshole, and he's a court reporter, not...not a news reporter."

He chuckles. "Same thing," he says, brushing her hair back. "So...what's it gonna be? How hard are you gonna make me work for this?"

She smiles, she kisses him, and she whispers, "You're gonna be working so hard you'll get blisters."

"Ah," he says with a nod. "So, I will meet you here at five-thirty. I'll wear my good running shoes, and we'll..."

"Five," she says, cutting him off. "I, uh, tacked on another mile and gave myself more time to shower when I got back. It...kept my mind off of...you." She clears her throat and she sighs. "So, yeah. Tomorrow, we run. And...coffee."

"Is that gonna be two dates or one?" he jokes, pulling her closer.

She pushes him away, though, and the light in her eyes fades slightly. "One," she says, licking her lips. "Goodnight, El."

He lets her go and he heaves a heavy sigh. "Goodnight, Liv," he whispers. "I'll see you in the morning." He watches her intently as he backs up and makes his way through the front door, and in what seems like a flash, he's gone.

She falls backward into the wall and finally takes a deep breath. Her fingers search for the long chain around her neck and she grips the small, round, medal tightly in her hand. He felt it, she's sure. She knows, now, that he knows she wears it, and she isn't sure if that makes her seem stronger or weaker. All she is sure of is that she realizes what the medal means, what _he_ means, what he wants, and what it's gonna take.

She realizes it all.

As she heads through her bedroom door and pulls off the shirt that now smells like Elliot, she wonders why she's even bothering getting into bed. Sleep isn't coming tonight. Tomorrow, the sun is coming up for her for the first time in almost eight months, and she doesn't want to miss it.

**A/N: They run, they have coffee, and Elliot meets the man that almost came between him and Olivia. The man who might try to do it again.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: We never have to wonder if we missed out on each other.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story**

"Liv!" he yells, breathing heavily, his body shaking. "Fuck, Liv!"

She smiles, her head turns over her shoulder, and she pants as she thinks about how gorgeous he looks bathed in sweat and moonlight.

He finally catches up to her, grabs both of her arms, and looks her in the eyes. "Are you running with me or from me, here?"

"Not my fault you're getting slow in your old age," she teases, leaning closer to him, her subconscious begging for a kiss.

He scoffs and he drops his head, his hard breaths landing on her nose, her lips. "Old, huh?"

She bites her lip, her eyes smiling as her mouth curls, and she nods.

He takes the chance, then, and pulls her closer to him. His lips cover hers, he feels her shiver against him and he knows that she can feel him shaking, too. For the first time in his life, he's nervous around her. He doesn't want to screw up, he doesn't want to scare her, he doesn't want to hurt her.

She moans softly as she pulls away, and her eyes blink innocently as she says, "Two more miles. Can you handle it?"

He grins. "I would run to the ends of the earth if you wanted me to, Liv."

Still looking into his eyes, she knows he means that. One thing she's always seen when she looks at him is his sincerity, his truth or his lies, and she realizes in this moment that he has never once lied directly to her. "Um," she pauses, her breath still shaky, her knees still week, "Maybe just back to apartment, for now, El." She winks, kisses him lightly on the lips, then she's off, running even faster than before.

He looks after her, shaking his head and chuckling to himself. He runs, then, too, but stays a few paces behind her, his smirk widening. He may be a man in love, but he is still a man. He appreciates a good view of a perfect behind.

Rolling her eyes, knowing why he's back there, she adds a swerve to her hips as she runs. With every footfall on the pavement, her resolve weakens, she falls for him a bit more. She wonders, as she rounds the corner, how long it will take for her to truly believe he isn't going anywhere, that he's hers now, and how long it will take her to let herself be his.

* * *

><p>He opens the door to her apartment, his legs like jelly beneath him. He barely makes it the three feet to her couch before falling face first on the cushions. "What...was that?" he moans. He pants, breathing through the thick leather, before rolling over to look at her. "You do that every day? Shit, you must be in..." his words fall away when he watches, stunned, as she lifts her long-sleeved running shirt over her head.<p>

She doesn't know he's staring, she's simply carrying on with her routine, dropping bits of clothing as she heads toward the bathroom. "What?" she asks. "You were saying something?"

He gulps, his eyes glued to the tight abs and perfect chest that have just been revealed to him. "I...I was just...shit, you're in incredible shape."

Her eyes widen a bit as she swallows, aware now that she stands before him in little more than black shorts and a sports bra. "Yeah," she says, calm and cool. "Thanks." She looks away from him, embarrassed and slightly proud that she's made him stare at her. "Make yourself at home. I'll be done in a few..."

"Liv," he manages to choke out, rising to his feet. "Do we really need to do this? This...coy, flirting thing? We've seen each other naked, we've seen each other dressed to the nines, we've watched each other bleed, break...and how many times have we fallen asleep together, winding up cuddled?"

"What are you..." she stops. She knows what he's saying.

He reaches out and brushes a bit of hair behind her ear, and he smiles at her. "I just mean...if we try too hard, here, we might fail. I couldn't handle that. So...if we're just...us...we're gonna be great." He kisses the end of her nose and says, "Take your shower. I'll be here when you're done. I promise."

She breathes and relaxes a bit, his hands sliding down her arms send chills up her spine, and she nods. "I know you will be," she smiles back at him, swats playfully at his shoulder to get him to move, and disappears behind the bathroom door.

With a content sigh, he turns, facing the open kitchen of her apartment. He knows, from years of experience, that the only food in the room is a jar of pickles and leftover takeout, so he walks toward the phone. He dials, ordering breakfast for two, but his eyes never veer from the bathroom door.

* * *

><p>"Thanks," she says, her eyes staring at a patch of nothing ahead of her as she walks, her hand in his.<p>

He tries to find what it is she's looking at as he says, "For what?"

She shrugs, keeping her steps in sync with his, and she looks down at their linked hands. It's been a while, too long really, since she's held someone's hand, and she's thankful and thrilled that it's his. "For running with me," she says, her thumb grazing over the side of his hand, as if trying to convince herself it's really there. "For breakfast."

He laughs and tugs on her hand, then loops his arm around her. He kisses her temple and says, "I would have much rather had breakfast in bed." He chuckles as his thumb mimics her earlier actions, splaying itself over the side of her hand, which is now draped over her chest to stay linked with his. "Next time, I'll actually cook, and we can eat in bed."

She raises both eyebrows, but her smirk betrays her real thoughts. "What makes you so sure there's gonna be a next time? Or that you're gonna be anywhere near my bed?"

He stops them, he holds her still and turns her to face him, and there's seriousness in his eyes. "I didn't mean it like that," he tells her. "I was..."

"Whoa, El," she cuts in, bringing her hands to his chest. "Calm down. I know. I was..."

His lips stop her words, his hands fly to her face, cupping her chin. "There will be a next time," he whispers, rubbing his nose against hers. "Right?"

She swallows hard and nods. "Of course," she whispers back. Her eyes close then. "Why do we keep doing this?"

"Kissing?" he asks softly, bringing his mouth to hers again. "Because I love kissing you."

Her laugh is muffled by his kiss, and she rolls her eyes as she pulls away from him and starts walking again, not willing to explain why she's late to Cragen. "No, El," she says. "Why do we keep questioning this? Whatever this is, or whatever it's gonna be, why do we..."

"Because," he interrupts, "We mean too much to each other to fuck this up. We both know...this is it, Liv. Our one shot at this, and if it doesn't work then..." his heart stops and his chest aches as he thinks the words he can't speak. "This has to work, baby," he says softly, a waver to his voice that she's only ever heard when he's scared.

She looks at him, her own heart thudding against her chest, and she knows he's right. "Then it's gonna work," she says flatly. "I'm not...I can't..." her jumbled thoughts go unspoken as she moves again.

"Not what?" he asks, keeping her pace. "You can't what?"

"Shit," she spits, running both hands through her hair. "I can't lose you again, El," she finally admits, and the fear that comes with the admission makes her quiver.

"Oh, honey," he gasps lightly, pulling her into his arms, holding her close. "You won't. You...you never really did, you know that, don't you?"

Her nails almost cut into his back as she grips him, and she nods vigorously into his shoulder. She squeezes her eyes shut and takes a breath, then pushes off of him, regaining composure. After another deep breath, she smiles. "You bought breakfast, she says, leading him toward the coffee cart that sits on the sidewalk outside the station. "The least I can do is get the coffee."

He smiles as he watches her call the coffee guy by name and order for them both. "We have a lot of memories here, don't we?"

She nods as she grabs the two steaming cups of coffee from the cart-man, and hands him one. "Here's another one." She takes a breath. "Our first morning coffee...together." She eyes him as she sips.

He smirks as he drinks, too, knowing. "Together, huh?" he teases. "So I'm getting that second date?"

"El," she says, her smile fading just a bit, "If you can promise me that..."

"Olivia?" a low voice calls from a few feet behind her.

She turns sharply, her eyes wider now, and the coffee almost falls out of her hands. "Greg," she says, shooting a nervous glance toward Elliot, then looking back at him. "What are you...what are you doing here this early?"

"Dropping off the transcripts from the trial," Greg says, looking at her, suspiciously. "Your ADA wants to file an appeal, she thinks Vistero lied on..." he tilts his head. "You're Elliot, aren't you?"

Elliot, trying to be the bigger man, holds out his hand. "I am," he says with a nod.

Ignoring the attempt at being nice, Greg scoffs. "Great. People warned me about you. But I didn't listen, I knew you were gone, but I wondered when you'd come back and try to turn her world upside down again." He looks at Olivia. "I guess this means Wednesday is off?"

Olivia steps over to him, trying to keep him calm. "Greg, I was gonna call you. When I..."

"When you told me last night that you didn't think it was gonna work between us," Greg interjects, "I thought you meant because of your job. Not him." He looks at Elliot again. "You just couldn't give her a chance at a normal life without you, could you?"

"No," Elliot says, sternly and firmly as he brings his coffee to his lips.

Greg shakes his head and laughs bitterly before he turns to face Olivia. "I've never just thrown the best thing in my life away, Olivia. I'm not planning on that anytime soon," he says. "Can you say the same thing about him?"

She blinks, she looks from Greg to Elliot, and her blood runs cold. She looks down at the coffee cup, cold and forgotten in her hands, and she throws it into the bin by the cart. Without saying anything to either man, she walks with heavy steps up the stone stairs of the station.

"Good job," Elliot spits, throwing his empty cup in the bin, then. "She was smiling, all morning, until you showed up."

Greg sneers. "She wouldn't have a reason to stop smiling if you weren't' around."

Elliot grins, an evil smile. "Oh, I plan on making sure she never stops smiling." He turns and heads up the stairs, following the path Olivia had taken.

"Where do you think you're going?" Greg yells, seemingly frozen to his spot.

Elliot stops, his grin turns into a full blown menacing smile, and he looks over his shoulder. "To work."

**A/N: Is he back at SVU? Somewhere else in the building? Something else entirely? Another tense moment between Olivia and Elliot that needs to something interesting. Next!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Closer to a realization.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

Her hands shake every time she moves. Papers wrinkle as she hands them to other people; her signature, usually swirly and neat, is jagged and slanted in a way that can only be described as confused; she's dazed and distracted and it's all his fault.

"Benson!" Fin yells from across the room.

"Huh?" her voice breaks, her head snaps, her eyes widen. "What?"

"I've been calling you for five minutes!" Fin chuckles. "What's goin' on in that head of yours?"

She shakes her head and walks over to him. "Nothing, I'm just..." she pauses and she shrugs. "Tired."

Fin nods, understanding, and hands her a file. "This came down from Narcotics." He lets out a sigh and clears his throat. "Lead on it wants us to talk to a few people about it."

"By us," she scoffs, "You mean me." She opens the file and reads it quickly, her mouth dropping open a bit more with every line. "This is...this just isn't...this can't possibly be...Griffin's out of his..."

Fin interrupts her, his voice a bit lower now. "Griffin got pinched," he tells her. "He was part of the whole thing. Some new guy's runnin' this now, and he's pretty convinced everyone on that list is involved."

She shakes her head again, licking her lips as she hands the folder back to Fin. "I refuse to believe Alex has anything to do with a drug..."

"Just talk to her," Fin says, interrupting again. "There's a lot of people on this list that...shit, man, Judge Heller, Judge Nichols..."

"Greg," she almost whispers, folding her arms. "This new guy...he's sure that everyone on that list..."

"The money's definitely passed through their hands, Baby-Girl," Fin says, nodding. "Just gotta prove it."

Cragen, quiet until now, clears his throat. "Olivia, your cooperation on this is a personal request from both Captain Haggirty and the lead detective. Go."

She nods, looks around, but says, "I can't just leave..."

"Fin and Rollins can handle it," Cragen tells her. "Alex first."

She takes a deep breath and grabs her jacket, and she's out the door before she can find an excuse.

* * *

><p>It doesn't take long to walk the ten city blocks to the courthouse, and her mind has been teeming with so many thoughts, so many emotions she'd long ago convinced herself she'd never have to feel, that it's no surprise she's already made it to Alex's office door without realizing it.<p>

She knocks, hoping there won't be an answer, hoping she'd be able to leave and tell someone in Narcotics she gave it the old college try. No such luck. The door opens and Alex stands before her, disheveled and shaken, a cigarette in her hand. "Hey," is all that Olivia can utter.

"I guess you heard," Alex says, blowing a puff of smoke in Olivia's direction as she opens the door a bit wider.

Waving a hand through the air, Olivia coughs and shakes her head. "I heard...and I'm hoping it's just a mistake, but going by your nervous breakdown, I guess..."

"Look," Alex says flatly, sidestepping Olivia and moving toward her desk, "Someone offers you fifty thousand dollars to look the other way on a bogus drug charge, Olivia, you're gonna..."

"Tell them to shove it!" Olivia yells. "I took an oath as a detective to uphold the law, not break it! Alex, you're not even..."

"You would take the money, Benson!" Alex interrupts. "Don't even try to tell me you wouldn't." Then she smirks, she chuckles. "Oh, right," she scoffs. "You're Little Miss Morals, aren't you?"

Olivia sits, folds her arms, and watches as Alex takes a drink from a short glass. "How am I, at all..."

"You were in love with your partner for longer than most people are in love with their husbands," Alex bites. "You didn't do a goddamned thing about it because he was married, but you know damn well, one suggestive wink from you and he would have..."

"Are you drunk?" Olivia asks, not willing to listen to something she now knows is probably true. "Or have you just lost your mind?"

Alex sighs, pushes the amber drink away from her, and snuffs the cigarette out on the tray on her desk. "I don't know," she cries. "I don't know what to do, Olivia." She sniffles and shakes a bit. "I risked everything for...Griffin told me no one would ever find out. He said it was fool proof, fail-safe, easy money."

Olivia drops her arms, feeling sorry for the blonde. "Alex, you're not even the ADA for Narcotics. How did you even get involved in..."

"Two years ago," Alex cuts in. "You remember McAllister, the guy who would drug his victims?"

Olivia's eyes narrow. "Wait," she hisses. "You're the reason the secondary charges wouldn't stick? We lost that case because...Alex he raped and killed five women! You let him off for fifty..."

A knock on the door interrupts the yelling lecture, and it slams open. "Cabot, we have a serious...Olivia?"

Olivia's heart, which was beating rapidly only a few moments ago, has stopped, and is starting to freeze. "Greg," she whispers. "Please, tell me you're not..."

"Olivia, whatever he told you, I swear, it's not true," Greg rushes, moving fast toward her. His hands are on her shoulders, his eyes are on hers, his body trembles as he speaks again. "I know a lot of people in this building are involved but I'm not, I promise you that, Olivia."

She blinks once. "There's a lot of...evidence, Greg. I need to...I mean, this is a lot to take in so..."

"I didn't keep any of the money," Greg interrupts again. "I was just a middle man! The delivery guy! Whatever he told you, you have to..."

She pushes him away and shakes her head. "Whatever who told me?" she asks, her eyes slanted as she pulls at her sleeves.

"Elliot," Greg says, his own eyes turning up in confusion and defeat. "He's the one that sent you down here, isn't he?" He rolls his eyes and doesn't wait for her answer. "Of course he is. And fucking hell, Olivia, you're actually convinced I'm a bad guy just because he says so? You're gonna hang me out to dry just because this is his case, aren't you?"

"Hold on," Olivia barks. "What? What does any of this have to with...with Elliot?"

Alex makes an odd noise, shifting in her seat. "Read it and weep, Olivia," she says, throwing a folded paper at the severe-looking detective.

Olivia catches it, opens it, and takes a shaky breath. "I didn't...I didn't know about this, I was just asked to come talk to...he just wanted to know if...because he knew you'd both talk to me, but I didn't..."

"You didn't know this was Elliot's case?" Greg asks, feeling skeptical and slightly guilty.

Olivia shakes her head. "Shit, I didn't even know he was working..." she stops, she slaps the indictment back down on Alex's desk, and turns toward the door. "I have to go," she grits out. "Get your stories straight before your inquisition starts."

She now knows exactly where she's heading, her destination clear and her mind focused. It seems as if she's running, the way she does in the early morning hours when the world is still asleep, but now every cell in her body is wide awake and on fire.

She's pissed.

* * *

><p>The detectives in the room are too afraid to greet her as she storms by them. She has him in her sights, and she nearly knocks over the captain of the unit in her haste to talk to him. "Explain," she spits harshly, pulling on his arm and dragging him to a corner of the room. "Now!"<p>

"Whoa, easy, Liv!" he seethes, rubbing his shoulder. "I need that arm!"

She clenches her jaw. "Your arm won't be the only body part I yank a little too hard on if you don't tell me..."

"Calm down," he eases, taking her hands in his, "please." He takes a breath and tries to look her in the eyes, hating the anger that meets him there. He bites his lip as he pulls her into the empty bunkroom to his left.

She looks around as he tugs her along, she hates how it's so different, yet so similar, to the many times they dragged each other into the cribs in the SVU squad room. "Okay," she says, settling on the nearest lumpy bed. "Talk."

He sits next to her, his hands still wrapped around hers. "I didn't have time to tell you, okay? Haggirty started breathing down my neck as soon as I walked in this morning, he wanted answers, and you were the only person I knew that could get them. I called, but Cragen wouldn't let me talk to..."

"I have a cell phone!" she bites, her nostrils flaring. "You have legs! You could have gone down there or...Christ, El, I didn't even know you were working here, I...and then Greg, it just..."

"I honestly had no idea he was involved until I got that file, baby. It's a...fucking crazy coincidence. And I know I put you in a tough spot," he whispers. "Haggirty doesn't know anything's going on between us, he assumed you'd do me a favor, as a friend. I'm sorry." He looks at her, his lips curl into a smile and he leans closer to her. "But I gotta admit, lighting a fire under Greg's ass felt pretty damn good after what he said this morning."

She tries to hold a stern face, but the grin on his is too much to take, and she has to look away in order to remind herself she's mad at him. "First, you leave without telling me," she says, standing. "Now you come back without telling me? El, this isn't gonna work if I can't fucking trust you to..."

"I wanted to surprise you!" he snaps, rising to his feet. He's in front of her in seconds, his nose pressing against hers. "I wanted to go down to the unit on my break, say hi to everyone, take you to lunch. I had no fucking clue my first case would involve you or your little boyfriend, Benson, so stop making everything seem like it's all about you and cut me some goddamned slack!"

It's either the glare in his eyes, the puff of his chest, or the smell of his cologne, but something makes her snap. She wants to hit him, smack the ego out of him, but her lips are on his before she balls her fist.

He moans as he's pushed back, and he grips her waist with his heavy hands. He mumbles something against her lips as his tongue fights for control of the kiss, as his fingers find the edge of her shirt.

She gasps, inhaling the breath that he's just let out, and she moans when his skin slides against hers, his calloused palms skimming up her bare back under her shirt. "El," she whispers, and she feels him shudder in her arms.

"God, Liv," he pants back to her, pulling her closer to him, trying to reach her very soul with his kiss. Their teeth gnash, they nip each others lips, and he swears he's just heard her growl. He feels her nails clawing at his skin, he moves fast when he feels her knee working its way between his legs, and the moan that is pulled from his throat is verging on vulgar.

It's going too far, but neither cares. She tries to press deeper into him, her fingers curl into his arms. And just as fast as it began, it's over. She pushes away from him, shock written all over her face, her eyes wide, her lips red and puffy. "Holy shit," she mutters, bringing a hand to her mouth.

He can do little more than chuckle in disbelief as he pulls her back into his arms. "I guess we, uh, have some issues to work out, huh?"

"Now I know why you had to turn away from me and punch the lockers whenever we fought like this," she admits, dropping her head to his still-heaving chest.

"It was either break my knuckles or commit a mortal sin, Liv," he whispers to her, kissing her forehead. "It was all I could do to keep from throwing you down and, uh...having my way with you." He wags his eyebrows, easing the tension.

She lets out a small laugh, then sighs as she sinks down to the mattress again. "You didn't lie to me this time? You were really gonna surprise me?"

He nods, flattening out next to her. "On my break," he says, "Which...started ten minutes ago."

"How long do you have?" she asks, gnawing at her lip as she inches lower, laying beside him.

"An hour," he says, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her against him. "I'm...I'm sorry, honey. About everything."

She nods, and her eyes close as she nestles herself in the bend of his neck. "We can talk about it later," she says, her arm slipping slowly around his waist. "Alex...admitted..."

"Later," he mumbles, kissing her lips softly. "Like you said."

A small moan of agreement is all he gets. The early morning run and tension filled afternoon have caught up to them, and they find themselves in a new, yet very familiar position. With closed eyes and entwined lips and limbs, they both remain oblivious to the man in the doorway, smirking at them, a knowing glimmer in his eyes.

When they wake up, they'll both be in for another surprise.

**A/N: Who do they know in Narcotics? What happens? A new ADA! Next. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: If you could only see the way she loves me...maybe you would understand...**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"It's cold out here," he says, his voice carrying through the twilight air and hitting her ears. He sees her turn and he laughs at the half-angry-half-aroused stare she gives him.

"No, it's not," she replies. She tugs the sleeves on her blazer, her actions betraying her words. "How did you know I..."

"We used to come up here," he interrupts. "To fight, to make up, to escape the tension down in the squad room, to escape each other..." He pauses and moves to her, his arms finding their way around her waist as she stares, stone-still, out over the city. "To find each other," he whispers, his hot breathe in her ear, and he knows he's giving her chills.

"We never really did that," she whispers, leaning her head back against his chest.

He kisses the crown of her head and smiles. "We're doing it now," he said to her. "I found you here, didn't I?" He nuzzles, for a moment, into the crook of her neck. "What's wrong?"

"Really?" she scoffs, turning her head slightly over her shoulder to look at him. "You have to ask?"

He looks into her eyes and tries to understand, but all he can say is, "We had a nice nap, it's been a light evening, I don't..."

"El," she cuts in, turning fully in his arms, "My best friend is on trial, her career is shot, and then I find out she slept with..."

"She did you a favor," he cut her off, winking. "Besides, uh, I think you were halfway into bed with me before you even went to dinner with him."

She laughs, but then her eyes drop. "El, I almost...Greg...I could have..."

"But you didn't," he says fast, not wanting to hear what she could have done with someone who isn't him. "You're not involved, with Greg or this whole drug-ring." He kisses her softly, then brushes a bit of loose hair behind her ear. "You're involved with me, and I'm pretty damn sure you know all about every illegal thing I've ever done. And it's a very short, very juvenile list."

"Thank God," she laughs, rubbing her forehead against his chest. She turns again, pulling his arms further around her, and she digs her nails into the flesh of his elbows, locking him there. "I don't think I could take it if..."

"Never gonna happen," he says, bending his head to kiss her neck. He suckles for a bit, then nibbles, then kisses a spot behind her ear that makes her moan. "I promise," he whispers.

"Good," she returns, a soft moan not a spoken word. She swallows hard and tries to remember she's at work, and she's only taking a ten minute break. "El, we have to..."

"Shh," he hushes, unwrenching his arms from her and spinning her around again. He kisses her, his lips pressing tightly against hers. His tongue pokes out and sweeps along the seam of her mouth, then pries, like a crowbar, opening her to him.

She moans again, uncontrollably, at the same time he does. She tastes him, and coffee, and the sugary remains of a donut, which only makes her clutch his head and deepen the kiss.

Another moan from them both and he's lost, gripping her hips and pulling her flush against him. He unconsciously bucks into him, letting her know how much he wants her, needs her.

She shivers and yet another moan escapes her, but this time it's one of submission. A realization hits her, one she'd hoped she could stave off for a little longer. She's in love with him.

From the far corner of the roof, in front of the thick metal door that leads back into the building, the same man who watched them cuddling in the Narcotics bunk room is watching them kiss. His eyes narrow, a bit of anger and lust behind the glare, but he smiles. "Hey!" he shouts, and he laughs, watching the pair leap apart with a mutual yelp. "Sorry to interrupt, but you have a case to work on, and the last thing I need is two angry captains on my hands. It was bad enough when you both pissed off the same one."

Elliot swallows hard, then runs a hand down his face. "Listen, you're not gonna..."

"You're not partners anymore," the man says, shrugging. "You don't even work on the same floor. What the hell could I do?"

Olivia gives him a warm smile, then reaches for Elliot's hand. "Thanks," she says, pulling gently, silently asking Elliot to move, to escape the awkward situation in which they've found themselves.

Taking the hint, Elliot leads her to the door and pulls the handle, waiting for her to walk ahead of him like a true gentleman would. "Hey, Ed?" he shouts back to the man who'd been watching them.

"Don't say it, Stabler," Ed Tucker says, shaking his head. "I know you got the letter, and I know you only came back for her. Just...don't say it. You don't owe me anything."

Elliot nods, then follows Olivia down the stairs, back to the hectic Hell that waits for them.

Staring after them, Ed shakes his head and laughs. Laughs at how they finally admitted how in love they were, laughs at the situation he'd found them in, and laughs in bitter jest at the sacrifices he had to make to get them where they belong.

* * *

><p>Olivia barely makes it through the squad room doors, when a familiar face greets her. A pretty blonde is perched on an empty desk, but the sad, sunken eyes tell her it's not a social visit. "What are...what are you doing here?"<p>

The woman sighs. "I expected that reaction."

"If I wasn't at work, it would be a lot more hostile," Olivia snaps. "I already told you I can't get you out of this, Alex. You need to get a lawyer and..."

"Olivia...please," Alex sighs. "I know you...you know. I didn't want you to find out like that! I didn't...I didn't want you to find out at all, but...you two weren't even really dating! It's not like I slept with Stabler!"

Olivia's eyes widened her eyes and shook her head. "Oh, you wouldn't even still be standing if that was the case."

"See!" Alex hisses, jutting a flattened, upturned palm at her. "You dug into a case...one that isn't even yours...and you found out something that you shouldn't have, okay? It was...it was stupid, and it was careless, and I was already..."

"Alex, stop, okay?" Olivia folds her arms and takes a deep breath. "You're in way over your head. I could take Greg lying to me, getting involved with all of this, but you? And after...you knew I was going out with him, and you..."

"We were drunk!" Alex barks. "We were trying to figure out how to get out of this mess now that Griffin wasn't gonna be around to cover our asses, it just happened! Can we move on? Forgive me, Olivia! Help me!"

Olivia, pain in her eyes, turns away from her best friend. "I can't help you, Alex. I'm sorry."

"You're not gonna help me because I slept with Greg?" Alex calls after, standing, putting her hands on her hips. "Or because you don't want to risk blowing your boyfriend's case?"

Olivia freezes, she turns slowly to face Alex, and her entire body seems to swell with anger. "I can't help you," she seethes, "Because unlike some people in this city, I take my job seriously. I'm a cop! A damn good one! You're involves with a serious crime, here, Alex, what am I supposed to do? I refuse to compromise my integrity."

"Oh, you'd do it for Elliot, though," Alex sneers, her nose turning up at Olivia.

"Not for anyone," Olivia breathes. "Not again."

"Glad to hear that," Cragen intrudes, handing her a piece of pink paper. "You might want to take Elliot with you on this."

Olivia raises an eyebrow. "He's not even in this unit, Cap," she argues. "I feel like I'm working with him more now than before he..."

"Dickie," Cragen says softly, cutting off her argument. "He's fine. He's not the one in trouble, but he..."

"He'll tell me when I get there," Olivia says, ripping the paper out of Cragen's hand and running out the doors.

Alex narrows her eyes at Cragen. "You just had to..."

"Get out of my squad room, Cabot," Cragen demands. He turns on his heels and heads for his office. "No one here can help you now."

With a sigh, Alex turns and leaves the room, but her mind is already racing with ways to make someone help her. Someone that couldn't possibly say no.

**A/N: A few tender moments, next.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Nobody ever told you: You shine like a diamond, Glitter like a gold, And you need to know**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and all related characters. TStabler owns the following story.**

She runs through the doors to the high school, her heels pounding the tiles as fast and as hard as her heart pounds in her chest. She doesn't even realize she's gripping his hand until she glances down, feeling him squeeze her fingers together, between his, as they bolt into the principal's office.

She looks up at him, then, and there's worry in his blue eyes, making them almost grey. "I'm right here, El," she whispers.

He nods and absently kisses her forehead, closing his eyes and sighing in gratuity. "I know," he whispers back to her. He turns his head. "Richard Stabler," he says, holding up his badge with the hand that isn't clutching Olivia's.

The secretary nods and points to a closed door. "In there," she mutters.

Without a second's hesitation, he pulls Olivia toward the second door, swings it open, and leads her inside. "What happened?" he asks, his arms opening to wrap around his son.

The teenager shakes his head. "Nothing," he mumbles. "I…stopped it from happening…but…"

"Your son," the principal interrupts, "Saved a young girl from what might have been a horribly traumatic experience." He folds his hands on his desk and grins. "Like father like son, Detective."

"Not following," Elliot says, raising one eyebrow as he lets go of his boy.

Dickie sighs and flops back down into the chair he'd been sitting in until his father showed up. "I walked into the bathroom…I saw…" he clears his throat and squints. "Jeremy Scott…had Lucinda Piers up against the wall. She was crying, so I knew that…" he looks up at his father. "You always told me that real love never makes a woman cry, so…"

"You stopped a rape?" Olivia says, pride and amazement dripping from her words.

"Guess so," Dickie shrugs. Then his head tilts and his eyes narrow and he really does become his father. "Why are you holding hands?" He sits up straighter. "Munch and Fin don't hold hands."

"As far as you know," Elliot jokes, then he lifts his hand, intertwined with hers, into the air a bit. "We're just…seeing what's here, and I…look, we can talk about me and Liv later, what I wanna know now is…"

"Where's the girl?" Olivia asks. She pulls her hand free from Elliot's as she waits for the principal to answer her.

The aged man leans back. "She's with her mother in the nurse's office, we have the school psychiatrist in with her, too. The boy…Jeremy Scott…is in our detention center, we called the cops before we called you, Detective Benson. Two men in uniform are…"

She doesn't stay to hear the rest. She runs a hand down Elliot's arm and leaves the room, letting him handle his son as she handles her case.

* * *

><p>"How's Dickie?" It's late when she comes in, but it's the first thing out of her mouth.<p>

He looks up from his spot on the couch and smiles. "My day was fine, thanks."

She rolls her eyes and closes the door, then throws her things onto a comfy chair and drops into the cushy couch beside him. "How is he?"

"A little shaken up," he sighs. He winds his arm around her to pull her close and buries his head in her neck. "He did a good thing today," he says, and he breathes her in. "You smell so good."

She laughs and turns herself toward him a bit more, one leg rising to bend over his lap. "He did." She brings her hands to the back of his head, scratching lightly up and down the nape of his neck without thinking about it, without knowing she's doing it.

He moans softly and nips at her neck. "You nail the son of a bitch?"

She lets out what could be taken as a yes as she nods. "Girl's fine, too."

"Alex called." He kisses his way over her collar bone, up across her chin. "Said she was sorry for…"

"Mmm-hmm," she groans as she shakes her head, her leg sliding farther up his lap, her hands pulling him closer to her. "Don't."

He chuckles as his own hands swoop down to the small of her back. His fingers trace the waistband of her pants, toying with the fabric as his lips finally cover hers. He takes her in, all of her, the way she feels pressed against him, the way she tastes, the way her fingers tremble as they travel up and down his head and neck. He moans, it's not a conscious sound, and he tugs on her pants lightly.

She twists, then maneuvers herself onto his lap completely, straddling him. She smirks against his kiss as he growls into her mouth and cups her ass with both hands, and she rocks herself over him. "I feel like my mother's gonna come walking in on us any minute," she jokes, her voice breathy.

He scoffs. "If that happens, we have bigger problems than we thought."

"I meant," she pants as he bites her bottom lip gently, "That this feels very…"

"Wrong?" he asks, slipping one hand down into her pants.

She moans and her head falls back. "Right," she moans. "Just very…dangerous."

He smirks at her when she finally lifts her head. "This is dangerous," he assures her. "Both of us….are in a lot of trouble…" he grunts as his fingers meet her flesh beneath the silk hiding under her clothes. "Fuck."

She nods. She knows.

He's trouble for her, always has been, and it's clear that she is the same for him. They're in danger. Danger of falling more in love than anyone has a right to, in danger of never being able to detach from one another physically or emotionally, and neither one seems too concerned. Neither is trying to avoid it. Neither wants to.

She grins and she pulls away from him for a moment. "You know I live for danger," she says playfully.

"What a coincidence," he chuckles, and then it happens. He pushes one long, thick finger into her, and a part of him dies. "Oh, my God," he hisses, the wet heat enveloping his finger, making his ache for it to envelope every part of him.

She whimpers as his finger twists and curls and she rocks, bucking into him, over him. Her lips are wrestling with his again, their mouths meshed. Whatever magic he's working on her makes her climb fast and she moans louder.

He grunts as his hips rise, his body straining to meet more of hers, and he pushes another finger into her. "Liv," he says, almost inaudibly. He feels her fingers curl, her nails dig into his shoulder blade, and he moans her name again, a little louder.

She feels it rising, coursing through her system like fire, heat and tension in every fiber of her being. Her toes curl, she moves against him faster, and her mouth slams into his just in time to muffle the string of vulgar words she's letting fly.

He shivers as he feels her pulsing around his fingers, slickness coating the digits, and he lets out a shuddering moan as he starts to tremble. He feels her start to slow her bucking, and when she's still, he feels her heartbeat, rapid and strong, as her chest presses against his.

She tries to breathe, her body still rippling with blessed, little aftershocks, and she drops small kisses to his chin and neck. She feels his hand slide from her pants to her lower back as the other plays with her hair, and for a moment there's nothing, no noise, no tremble, just each other, just a long sweet kiss.

"That was fucking incredible," he finally speaks. He stares into her eyes with wonder.

She smiles at him. "Yeah," she says, nodding. She kisses him, her right hand slowly falling toward the pronounced bulge in his pants. She smirks when his eyes flutter shut, anticipating. She's almost there, her fingertips grazing the thick denim.

"Mother fucker!" he yells. The phone on the table beside him bleeps and blares, interrupting what would have been the most miraculous moment of his life aside from the birth of his children. He curses under his breath as he reaches for it. "Stabler!" he snarls.

She laughs, then moans softly, watching him lift his fingers to his mouth, suckling the remnants of her off of his skin as he listens intently to the person on the call.

He slams his open palm down on his clothed thigh, shouting a hard, "Shit." He rolls his eyes. "Okay, yeah, I'll be right there." He ends the call and looks into the big, brown eyes that are staring at him. "To be continued," he sighs.

She closes her eyes and nods, then kisses him tenderly. "Definitely," she whispers. "New case?"

"Same one," he tells her as she slides off of his lap. "But it…Liv, this is…I'm sorry."

She raises an eyebrow. "What happened?"

He bites his lip, shakes his head, and there are very real tears in his eyes as he tries to spit out the words. "Liv, I don't know how to tell you this…"

"Just tell me," she says, standing now. "What happened?

He kisses her, cups her face, and nuzzles her nose. "Greg's been shot. Uniforms that got there…"

"El, please!" she snaps. "Just say it!"

He kisses her one last time before pulling away from her and heading for the door. He sniffles and turns to look at her over her shoulder. "Alex shot him."

She watches helplessly as he walks out the door, and all she can do is sit down in the warm spot on the couch he left behind.

**A/N: Keep digging that hole, Alex.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Now I think I realize I need a new start, I'm not that far from the dreams I had in my head. **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"How is he?" Fin asks, standing as Olivia walks into the room.

Olivia scoffs. "Like you care," she spits, and then she closes her eyes. "Sorry, I'm…" she exhales. "He's gonna be okay."

Fin raises an eyebrow. "Okay. How are you?" He lowers his voice. "Workin' with Stabler gettin' to ya?"

She narrows her eyes. "What? No," she says, sounding offended. "My best friend shot a guy I…" she stops herself. "The fact that Alex could shoot anyone is just…and what she's involved in…" she runs both hands over her face quickly. "Elliot's up there with her in interrogation and for the first time, she's on the other side of the glass, and I can't…"

"Hey!" Amaro yells from across the room. "You're back! Can we get back to the case we were workin' on before you ran off to play drug-sniffer with Stabler?"

Her head turns, her fists clench. "Nick, you don't even know…"

"How's Dickie?" Fin asks, stopping her from saying something she'd regret.

At the mention of the teenager's name, she turns her head. "He's fine. A little shaken up, but he's fine. This isn't really what he needed a week before graduation."

Fin smirks. "Becomin' a hero or findin' out his dad really is sleepin' with his partner?"

Olivia's mouth drops. She smirks and lets out a half-offended grunt. "Fin," she says, raising an eyebrow.

"You mean you're not?" he chuckles. "Tucker talks, Baby-Girl. And when he talks, I listen. You two just…cool it around here."

She rolls her eyes and tosses her keys onto her desk, and she pulls out her chair.

"Don't sit," Cragen says, stopping her mid squat. "Grab your keys, go get Elliot, and…"

"Jesus," she whines, slamming her hand down on her desk. "If I wanted to transfer to narcotics, I would have done it when I…"

"His drug house is now our brothel," Cragen interrupts, thrusting a file into her chest. "Alex wasn't just taking money in exchange for the goods. She told him almost everything up there, but we still need names. You two need to go down to city hall and talk to the ADA running the case."

Olivia waits. She presses her lips together. "Don't tell me, it's…"

"Casey isn't happy about it either, Olivia, just do your job," the captain says, then turns on his heels and slams the office door behind him.

She reaches for her keys, curling her fist around the cool metal. She heads for the door, but turns her head over her shoulder. "I'm not sleeping with him, Fin." She narrows her eyes and mumbles, "Not for lack of trying."

He laughs at her, shaking his head. "Yo, Amaro," he says, holding up his hand. "Looks like it's you and me, pal."

Amaro rolls his shoulders and folds his arms, then catches sight of Olivia just as she steps through the door. "Great."

* * *

><p>"So, what unit are you two in, now?" Casey Novak asks. "And when the hell did you even get back, Stabler?"<p>

Elliot smiles, but it's not a happy one. "We're in different units, and I got back a few days ago. Forgive me for not making you my first call, but I figured someone else ranked higher than you on the list."

"Well, you did tell me once that if you ever left your wife, you'd call me," Casey says, folding her arms.

Olivia raises both eyebrows and licks her lips as her head turns toward Elliot. "Oh, really?"

"For the divorce, Liv," he tells her, rolling his eyes. "I thought she'd help me out."

"Uh-huh," Olivia says, then turns back to Casey. "We need warrants. One to search Alex's apartment and get access to her home computer, and one to…"

"I know what you need," Casey interrupts, stomping toward a filing cabinet. "Who's running lead on this?"

"I am," Olivia and Elliot answer together. They chuckle before Elliot clarifies. "She's handling the sex, I'm handling the drugs."

Casey turns, two thick blue packets in her hand. "Sounds like a party," she says. "Am I invited?"

Elliot takes the documents out of the lawyer's grasp. "Funny," he snorts. "What do these cover?"

"Every computer in the NYPD network, including Cabot's home computer and laptop." Casey taps on the papers. "The second one gets you into her bedroom. Bet you've dreamed of that, huh, Stabler?"

"Uh, no," Elliot says, reading through the warrants. "The only bedroom, besides my own, I've ever dreamed of getting into is Detective Benson's," he says, honestly.

"Like you haven't been there," Casey huffs, then nods curtly at Olivia. "Done that."

With folded arms, Olivia straightens up. "That?"

"It's an expression, Benson," Casey says. "If you two are done using me to get through your miles of red tape, I have a meeting in…"

"Casey," Olivia says, cutting her off as she squeezes the bridge of her nose, "Please. Whatever personal shit is between us, can we put it on the backburner and solve this case?"

Casey takes a step toward Olivia. "You get me solid evidence first, Detective," she spits, "And we absolutely can. Until then, I think we're done." She moves toward her door, opens it, and waits.

Olivia gives Elliot a look, one that says they need to leave before punches are thrown, and the pair walks out without looking back. They don't even flinch as the door slams behind them.

"She is not letting go, is she?" Elliot asks, shoving the two folded warrants into his jacket pocket.

Olivia shrugs. "She was censured for two years because of us, El," she says.

"No, she was censured because she committed a Brady violation, perjury, and slept with the prime suspect in a murder investigation," Elliot clarifies.

Olivia smiles. "Speaking of Lake, have you talked to him since…"

"Because I make it a habit of visiting guys on Death Row, Liv," he intrudes sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "No. He was never a friend."

She turns to him. "And he almost cost you two of the ones you do have."

He leans forward, his nose brushing against hers. "I worked it out with Fin," he whispers, "And…clearly…we're doing just fine, baby."

"Baby, huh?" she smirks, letting her lips graze his slightly.

He nods and presses his mouth to hers, unaware that Casey is watching them through her reopened door, with a sour expression on her face.

Olivia knows, though, and she smoothes her hands down his back to grab his ass playfully to prove she doesn't care. She pulls away from him and winks. "Later," she says. "We're on the clock."

"But we're not partners anymore," he says, pawing at her. "Technically, we're not even…"

"El?" she interrupts, grinning. "Later. Promise." She juts her chin toward Casey. "We've got an audience." She turns her head and takes a few steps down the hallway. "This is gonna be a real picnic."

He grins at her. "It could be worse," he says. "We could have to work this with Von."

With a shudder, she turns and heads down the hallway, eager to crack her case, and Elliot's, and put it all behind her.

* * *

><p>"Coming!" she yells, padding across her living room floor. She grabs a wad of money off of the shelf near the television and counts out four tens as she opens her door. "Thanks for delivering so late, I…"<p>

"Not a problem," the man says. "As long as my tip is you, naked, in bed."

She snaps her head up, then laughs. "What are you doing here?"

Elliot holds up the bag of food and pushes his way into the apartment. He kisses her as she kicks the door closed, and he says, "I missed you. And I'm not really thrilled about going home to an empty place. I'd much rather spend my nights with you."

"And you just happened to run into the delivery guy downstairs?" she questions, shoving her cash in her pocket and

Pushing him toward the couch.

"On the steps outside, actually," he says, putting the bag down and wrapping his arms around her as they fall to the sofa. "Who else would be ordering Chinese at one in the morning?"

She kisses him again, their fingers twisting together as she rocks into him. "I just saw you an hour ago," she mumbles against his lips.

"I missed you, too," he whispers as he lies back, flattening her on top of him. "Last night…Liv, I don't want you to think I…"

She shakes her head and stops him with another kiss. "El, I realized something today," she says softly. "When we were going through Alex's computer."

"That they don't call her the sex lawyer for nothing?" he jokes, pulling his hands away from hers to run them through her hair.

She works her knee between his legs and nudges. "No," she says, dropping her forehead to his. "Working with you again….it was like…it's like nothing's changed. It felt so…I realized that…this isn't easy for me to say, so gimme a minute…"

"Take your time," he tells her, kissing the end of her nose. "We've got time, I promise."

She sighs and closes her eyes. "You're under my skin," she whispers, her hot breath on his neck. "You have been since the moment we met. I could never let myself really go because I was holding onto you, and…El, I don't want to let go. Not now that you're…now that I'm really holding onto you."

He kisses her forehead and brushes his lips across her cheek, stopping at her ear. "You love me," he whispers. "If I wasn't so fucking sure of that, I wouldn't have come back for you. You love me, Liv." He guides his lips back to hers and just before he kisses her deeply, he says, "That's what you realized tonight."

She holds her breath as she nods, and she kisses him hard and deeply. She whimpers, her fingers snake under his shirt and claw at his chest, and she moans his name into his mouth.

He fists and twists her hair in his hands, biting at her lips, sucking on her tongue, and he feels her rubbing against him, he feels the heat and tension rise in him. He knows he's losing control. "Liv, baby…"

"Bedroom," she whispers. And she smiles down at him as his eyes widen in surprise. "Thirteen years," she says to him, her mouth against his, "Is a long time to wait, El." She grabs his hand, tightens her fingers around his, and whispers again. "Bedroom."

He follows her up, off of the couch, and he holds his breath as she pulls him toward her bed. "No more waiting," he says with a smile that reaches his eyes. And he realizes something incredible as he sees her pull off her shirt in the darkened room. Something that will change his life, the minute he speaks the words, and he's certain she won't mind.

**A/N: Next: another interruption? Maybe not. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Now I realize I'm in love with you…**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and the characters; TStabler© owns the story you're about to read.**

"Wait," Elliot mumbles, his hands rubbing over his face. "You brought me down here in the middle of the night…for this?" He shoves his hands into his pockets and squints at the pair sitting at the table. "And isn't this some kind of conflict of interest? You two dated."

Trevor Langan snorts. "This is rich. You're giving me a lecture on working with people I slept with?"

Elliot shrugs and pouts. "Well, I guess there aren't many lawyers left in this city who haven't slept with Alex, so…I guess I'll have to let it slide."

Alex drums her fingers on the table and gives her lawyer a questioning glance. "Are you gonna ask him?"

"What are you offering?" Langan asks, his own arms folded.

Elliot chuckles as his hands drop to his sides. "What am I…are you crazy? No deals, Langan! Christ! It's two in the morning and you dragged me down here…do you have any idea what I was in the middle of?" His nostrils flare and his lips twitch. The image of Olivia lying naked beneath him is burned into his memory and he's still throbbing with the need to feel every inch of her body against his.

Trevor rolls his eyes. "I know you need your beauty sleep, Stabler, but my client is being arraigned in the…"

"I wasn't sleeping," Elliot grits out, his jaw clenched. He clears his throat and looks at the attorney. "And you've only given me useless shit that Benson and I already know, so no…fucking…deals."

"Jesus!" Alex yells then, slamming her hands down on the table. "How long have we been friends, Stabler?"

"Friends?" Elliot questions. His eyes narrow, he licks his lips, he uncuffs his sleeves and pushes them up just a bit. "Years of you getting in the way, ratting me and Liv out to Tucker every chance you got, interfering with investigations, telling Liv to watch out for me, warning her against starting anything with me, how exactly does any of that make us friends?"

Alex presses her lips together and takes a deep breath before speaking. "I told her not to get involved with you while you were still married. I was saving your marriage and her dignity."

"Her dignity would have been been just fine," Elliot sneers at her. "And my marriage…didn't need saving." He walks around the table and leans over, almost whispering right into the blonde's ear. "You want a deal? Give me the names of every man you did…eh…favors for….and the price it cost them."

"My God," Alex says with a shudder, "You make it sound like I'm some kind of…"

"Exactly what you are, Cabot," Elliot interrupts. He sits on the edge of the metal table, crosses his arms, and peers down at his former colleague. "You slept with them in return for…what…warrants? Write offs? Higher profile cases? The hell of it?"

"Fuck you!" Alex barks, rising.

Elliot stands then, too, meeting her nose to nose, and yells back just as loudly. "You wish!" He smirks. "You can't fuck your way out of this one." He nods to his left. "I don't think Langan's the type who likes to watch, anyway." He brings his face back toward Alex. "And I'm seeing someone."

Alex stares at him, honestly hurt by his words, and she drops into her chair. "All these years, watching you do…what you do…I never felt sorry for the perp. Not once. Not...not until now."

"Tables," Elliot says, easing back down to perch on the metal edge again. "They turn."

Langan clears his throat. "Look," he sighs. "It's late, we all have to be at work in a few hours, can we make a deal here so this night hasn't been completely wasted?"

"I told you," Elliot says, looking at Alex but talking to Langan, "Names. Then we deal. Of course, you wouldn't be making the deal with me."

"What?" Alex asks, her face screwing up in confusion.

Elliot smirks again, more wicked than before. "I'm working Narcotics. Remember? And you shot a man, Cabot, that's attempted murder, if those charges stick. You called in the wrong detective." He leans closer, his eyes gleam with rage. "Luckily, the right one wasn't that far away from me."

"What's he talking about?" Alex questions, turning toward Trevor. "What does that mean?" she begs, panic rising, coursing through her.

Langan shuts his eyes and a defeated moan escapes. "It means, since they need the names of the men you were…involved with…we need to deal with Benson…and…"

"And Benson doesn't deal," a cool, low voice says, interrupting. "Am I late to the party?"

"Party's just getting started," Elliot says, winking at Olivia as she shuts the door and moves toward him.

Langan squints. "How did you…I didn't even hear the door…"

"See, when my partner yells, you can't hear anything else," Olivia butts in, again, tossing a notebook and pen on the table. "Names. Now."

Alex looks up at Olivia, and the fear and desperation in her eyes is clear. "Olivia," she all but whispers. "Please? Just…make me an offer."

Olivia has to hold back the urge to give in, putting aside personal feelings and reminding herself that Alex is the criminal here is harder than she thought. "Names, dates, details. And we'll take your cooperation into consideration. The judge…he'll go easy on you."

Langan stills, then looks at Alex. He nods, watches her grab the pen and start to write, and then he turns his head up toward Olivia. "One thing, Detective Benson?"

Crossing her arms, Olivia sits on the opposite side of the table from Elliot, making them look like an intimidating set of bookends. "What?"

"He's not your partner," Langan snaps, huffing. He glares at her, then at Elliot, and he shakes his head.

Elliot narrows his eyes and looks over his shoulder at Olivia, and he sees his exact thought written on her face. She doesn't realize she called him her partner.

When she does realize what she'd said, she also realizes why, and it's the second time the reality of it has hit her, and the first time she doesn't really mind.

* * *

><p>"Here," Fin says, handing Olivia another cup of coffee. "That's five."<p>

"You're counting?" she asks him, bringing the foam cup to her lips. She cringes as she swallows and shoots him a look.

Fin chuckles. "Munch made it," he says with his hands in the air. "What's your deal, anyway,. Baby-Girl? Case keepin' ya up?" He drops into his chair and grins at her. "Or is it Stabler that's keepin' you awake?"

She rolls her eyes and nods. "Both," she said with a snort, then flips the page over on the notepad Alex had filled. "Almost every politician in this city was involved with this," she says, shaking her head. "Money from this drug ring funded construction and transportation! And the sex...some of the men Alex needed favors from, and some she just couldn't afford to pay off."

"Powerful men are never noble," Amaro offers, twirling his pen in his hand. "And Cabot's hot. Hell, if all I had to do to make my problems go away was sleep with a hot lawyer…" he stops, noticing the many pairs of eyes on him. "I'm not saying it's right! I'm just saying…ya know…it's not exactly a shitty price to pay."

Olivia rolls her eyes again, takes another sip of her coffee, and flips another page. "Whoa," she says, her eyes falling on one name that hits her hard. "Hold on."

Amaro flies to her side, eager to see what she's seeing. "What? Tell me she boned Judge Donnelly!"

"Christ," Olivia scoffs, slapping him in the arm. "No, jackass. But it's…I don't think I can work this case." She looks up, meeting Fin's curious eyes. "I don't think any of us can." She tosses the yellow legal pad down onto her desk and leans back in her chair.

Munch, his shade-covered eyes squinting in wonder, reaches for the pad. His bony fingers curl around it and he lifts it up, scanning the page. "Does Elliot know about…"

Olivia stands up fast, her gaze steadied on the man barreling into the squad room. "I think he does, yeah."

"Hey, Stabler," Fin says, nodding once. "Guess you know about…"

"I have a copy of the list," Elliot interjects. "She's lying, right?" He jabs a finger on the pad in Munch's hands. "Liv, tell me she's lying!"

Olivia opens her mouth but can only shrug. "I haven't gotten that far yet, El. You were tracking the drugs, I made a few calls, Morales is still digging through her computer, I don't…"

"Every fucker on that list needed her to either get charges dropped or filed," Elliot breaks in. "She used some of them for her own benefit. What the hell did he have that she…"

"You." Trevor Langan bares no smile as the group turns to him.

Elliot furrows his brow. "Who?"

"You," Langan says, stepping forward. "And Detective Benson. He had you, by the balls, more than once." He shoves his hands in his pockets and tilts his head. "You've both been arrested and interrogated for murder, accused of blackmail, accused of having an affair, you've been suspected of using your badges to get charges against family members dropped, you've crossed the legal line in interrogations, you've used your personal pull with the department to get shoddy evidence deemed admissible…"

"What the fuck is your point, Langan?" Elliot shouts.

Langan laughs. "You don't honestly think you managed to keep your jobs because of your skills and good looks, do you?" He raises an eyebrow. "Don't forget to thank Alex when your ADA is crucifying her in court."

Elliot takes three quick, heavy steps toward Langan. He clenches his jaw and the edges of his eyes tense. "No way," he growls. "She didn't do this for me. Her, maybe," he says, jutting his thumb at Olivia, "But don't you dare try to tell me she did me any favors. Not like this."

Trevor lowers his voice. "You may not know this, Elliot, but people do actually like you. I don't know why, but they do. It helps that Olivia's been in love with you since man crawled out of the muck and Alex knew if anything happened to you…"

"That's what I thought," Elliot snaps, nodding. He turns to Olivia, a glimmer of victory in his eyes. "Are you coming?"

"Where?" Olivia asks, her eyes widening slightly.

Elliot grins at her. "We're gonna pay him a little visit, Liv," he says, rocking on his heels. "God, it's so close I can almost taste it."

Olivia gives him a sideways glance as she slowly reaches for the keys to the red sedan. "What is?"

Elliot holds out his hand for hers, loops his fingers around her wrist, and says, "Revenge."

**A/N: Oh, my…what?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: And now we'll never have to wonder if we missed out on each other…**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and all related characters. TStabler owns the following story.**

"That letter," Elliot says, a lighter flicking to life in his fingers, though he doesn't smoke, "You wrote it because Alex…asked you to, didn't you?"

Tucker smirks, leans back in his chair, and chuckles. "She can be very…persuasive. In fact, when you transferred back to the One-Six she got me to promise not to do anything about…this," he says as he waves a hand between Elliot and Olivia.

Olivia squeezes the bridge of her nose with her fingers as she screws her eyes shut. "I can't…I just can't…this is…" She looks up at Tucker. "What the hell were you thinking when you..."

"Look, Benson, your friend did you a favor," Tucker interrupts. "A few of them. Thank her, move on"

"Move…are you…" she shakes her head and scoffs. She looks over at her other half and she threatens, "Elliot, if you don't do it, I'm gonna…"

"Edward Tucker," Elliot cuts in, standing. He tosses the lighter down onto the man's desk and pulls his handcuffs out of his pocket. "You have no idea how much I am going to enjoy slapping these on you."

Tucker narrows his eyes and tilts his head. "What the hell are you doing?"

Elliot pulls Tucker out of his chair, hard, not caring if it hurts. "You are under arrest for solicitation, blackmail, conspiracy, and obstruction." He twists Tucker's arms behind his back and one cuff clicks tight around one wrist. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say…"

"I know my rights, Stabler," Tucker spits. "You need to think about what the hell you're doing. If I go down, I'm taking you down with me."

Elliot laughs and yanks on the small chain between the cuffs. "For the first time, Tucker, you don't have anything on me."

"You and Benson!" Tucker yells.

"Everyone knows," Elliot growls into Tucker's ear. "Everyone. Guess I forgot to mention that."

Olivia stands as Elliot passes her chair, pushing Tucker out of the office. She looks at the cuffed man, and she sees real fear in his eyes. As hard as she tries, she just can't seem to bring herself to feel sorry for him.

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?" Elliot asks, tilting his head as he watches her peel the label off of her beer bottle.<p>

She nods, then she sips. "Fine," she mumbles. "Just arrested my boss, sat through prep for my best friend's trial, and now I'm sitting on my lumpy couch with a man I can't stop myself from needing with every fiber of my being and it scares the shit out of me." She finally looks up at him. "Yeah," she breathes, "I'm just fine."

He reaches for her hand, prying it away from the amber glass. "I need you, too, Liv," he whispers. "More than…more than I care to admit."

"Yeah?" Her eyes flicker slightly as she asks.

"Yes," he nods, and he brushes his thumb over her knuckles. "Look, baby, why don't we just forget about what happened today, okay? Just talk to me."

"About?" she questions, then takes another sip of her beer.

He smiles. "Tell me what went through your head when I kissed you in the cribs."

"Oh," she says, rolling her eyes. "There was no thinking, just…angels singing." She laughs and shakes her head. "Then I realized what was happening and…yeah."

He leans over and kisses her softly. "Glad that's all straightened out," he mumbled against her lips.

She hums in agreement and pulls away, then bites her lip. "Last night…"

"I know." He sighs and pulls her hand to his mouth. He kisses the soft inside of her palm. "I wanted it, too, and if I could have killed Langan in that room this morning, I would have." He looks into her eyes. "It's been a long day, baby, why don't we just go to bed and…"

She kisses him hard before he can finish his sentence. "It has been a long day," she whispers, running her lips along his jawline. "But how tired are you?"

He chuckles and slides his hands up her back, under her shirt. "I am wide awake right now," he says, nipping at her lips.

She smiles against his skin, her teeth grazing his neck, her hands feeling their way up his chest and around his neck. "Right here," she moaned, rocking into him, "Right now, El."

He kisses her again, grumbles something into her mouth, and peels her shirt up. He pulls away from her for a moment to rip it over her head and as he drops it to the floor he looks at her and loses his breath. "Are we really…?"

"Yeah," she cuts him off with a nod and a smile. She pops the buttons on his shirt, moving it to the side and brushing it down his shoulders. "We are," she says with a look in her eyes that tells him she doesn't quite believe it either. She watches him shake his shirt off, hears it plop to the floor where she knows hers is, and she holds her breath as she feels his hands reach for the clasp of her bra.

He flicks it with two fingers, it pops, and he takes his time dragging the silk off of her body. He drinks her in with his eyes as each new bit of skin is exposed. Something, though, snaps as the bra falls to the hardwood. He bends his head, takes one of her beaded nipples into his mouth, and sucks lightly as he pulls at her pants.

Moaning, she helps him get them off, her legs rubbing against his as she maneuvers to get the black cotton off of her form. She groans out his name as he moves to the other nipple, his tongue flicking over it before he takes it between his teeth. She yelps when he rips her silk panties off of her in one hard yank, and she knows now that it's real. It's all real.

He lifts his hips, her nipple still held between his lips, and she scoots up a bit to let him push down his own black slacks. He lowers himself back to the couch, sucks harder on the bud in his mouth, and kicks the pants off as he grips her sides.

She gasps lightly as she feels him move her, she bites her lip and every thought and feeling she has had about this moment over the last decade fades away. Nothing is left but the sound of her heartbeat as she looks down at him, her eyes glued to his.

He wraps one hand around the back of her neck and pulls her down to him, kissing her deeply as he thrusts upward, into her, moving slowly, inching in. He moans, his lips still attached to hers, and his body tightens when he reaches the deepest point.

She pries her lips from his, presses her forehead down to him. "Oh, my God," she says, so softly it's as if she's said nothing at all. "El," she cries before sealing her lips over his again.

He grunts, moans her name, and starts to move, and he prays that tonight, there are no interruptions. He moves his lips to her neck, nipping and biting as he thrusts upward, holding her down to make sure he hits every spot he can.

She drops her head back and his name rolls off of her tongue as her body reacts to every move he makes. She rolls over him, her hips and back making waves as he fills her, and she realizes, now, that her dreams and fantasies of him didn't do him justice. "Oh, God, baby," she pants, her nails cutting into his shoulders as she tenses and grips him.

"Liv," he moans, muffled by the flesh of her neck in his mouth. He moves faster, a bit harder. Sweat beads form along his joints, on his forehead. He feels her slickening, tightening, and the intensity of what's happening makes his heart skip.

She moans again, louder now. "Elliot," she groans, "Oh, God, yes!"

And though he expected her to make some sort of noise, he wasn't expecting it to sound so incredible. Her words, her voice, they hit his very core and makes every muscle in his body twitch. He grunts every time he slides into her. He breathes every time he pulls out, and when he finally looks up into her eyes, his world goes dark.

She shakes, trembles, her body burning. Her mind goes blank, she doesn't know her own name at this moment, and she growls out a fierce cry of his name and a long, rolling, "Oh, God."

He shakes against her, in her, shooting and slamming, not wanting it to end, knowing it has to. "Liv," he spits. "Christ." When he stops, he curses and stills, and he holds her tight, he can feel her still trembling in his arms, which surprises him because he's still shaking, too.

She kisses him, slowly, trying to calm down, trying to take in what has just happened, trying to grow used to the shift in her universe.

He runs his fingers through her hair, he's still inside of her, pulsing and throbbing in the wake of what he can only think of as a beautiful death. "I love you," he whispers.

She shudders again, hearing him, and she takes a slow, deep breath before answering, "I love you, too, El."

He tightens his fist in her hair and kisses her harder, as if needing to prove he means it. He takes his time, trying to kiss her all the way down to her soul. He's savoring the moment, memorizing the way she tastes, and he's almost got it down when his cell phone rings.

She moans in protest as he moves beneath her to reach over to the coffee table. His lips still against hers, he grumbles a greeting into the phone. He waits, he listens, and he pulls away from her. "What?" he barks.

"What is it?" she asks, fear striking her.

He holds up a finger as he kisses her shoulder. "Yeah. I'll be…I'll be right there. No...I think…I'll call her, but she's not my partner, I…yes, Sir." He hangs up, he looks at her. "We need to get dressed."

"What happened?" she asks, climbing off of him.

He takes a breath and he looks at her. "We got a homicide," he says with a shrug.

She squints. "I'm not…I don't work with you in…"

"You do now," he says, tugging on his pants. "It's the vic, Liv, it…Cragen wants you on it with me."

She pulls on her bra, clasping it behind her back. "Who, El?"

He smoothes out his shirt and heaves a heavy sigh, then moves to her. He kisses her gently and says, "Tucker."

**A/N: How? WHO?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: It only takes a moment, to realize, we have it all.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and all related characters. TStabler owns the following story.**

He watches her as she kneels over the cold body of Ed Tucker, and then as she looks up and around, expressions of guilt, anger, relief, grief, and confusion flickering across her face. He sighs when she looks at him, and he answers her question before she asks it. "I don't know, honey," he offers with a shrug.

She shakes her head, bites her lip, and takes another look around, the bright lights and loud music are a clear contradiction of the situation she's in. "Who bailed him out?" she asks. Her hands fall to her hips as she rises. "Why the hell did they bring him to a carnival to kill him?"

Elliot takes a step toward her. He bites his lip the way she'd done, and he shakes his head again. "I don't know," he repeats. "We're gonna find out." He pulls her by the arm, over to the medical examiner's van. "Hey, Doc!" he yells.

Melinda Warner turns around, her eyes wide and stern. "One bullet," she says. "Straight between the eyes. That's a pretty clear COD, so what more do you…"

"I don't know what sex crimes needs from you," Elliot interrupts, "But I need a full tox screen when you get him back to the lab.

Melinda chuckles. "I wish I could say I missed you, Stabler. But there's really only one person around who did." She gives Olivia a cold look, then crosses her arms and turns back to Elliot. "I will do a full work up, and you'll have my results as soon as possible."

"Where's the CSU?" Olivia wonders out loud. "Prints, trace evidence, they need to…"

"Liv, they're working on it," Elliot cuts her off, his hands resting on hers. "I know you want to get to the bottom of this, so do I, but we can't rush this."

"Detective Stabler?" a voice yells from beneath the carousel, "I found something you need to see."

Elliot glances at Olivia, then takes her hand and pulls her toward the young detective who'd called for him. "What's up, Stevens?"

A young, blonde, cop turns his head up to Elliot, and he holds up a bag. "We found the bullet casing," he says. Then he lifts another evidence bag into the air. "We found this, too, Detective. It's engraved. Might belong to the suspect."

Olivia takes the sealed Ziploc, she turns the silver watch over and through the plastic she reads the inscription. Her face falls. "Alex," she whispers. "But isn't she…"

"I'll make the call," Elliot tells her, and he eyes his captain from across the lot. "Go home," he says. "Get some sleep."

"Are you kidding?" she snorts. "No way. Cragen wanted me on this case, I'm on it." She flicks her hair out of her eyes. "What do you need me to do?"

He screws his face up at her, then he chuckles. "Yeah," he sighs, then hands her his cell phone. "You make the call."

She offers a small smile and takes his phone, dials, and waits. Her eyes follow him as he walks back toward the scene, and then her gaze drops down to Tucker's body. She shuts her eyes, refusing to feel any more sadness for a man who'd made her life miserable, but as someone picks up the line she promises to close this case, fast, no matter what it takes.

* * *

><p>"Well, well, well," Amaro sings as Olivia walks into the bullpen, "Look who decided to come back to work!" He stands and walks toward her. "Homicide get old already?"<p>

"I'm still on the case," Olivia snaps, huffing as she plops into her chair. She types madly into her computer. "Just checking my email and catching up on my current cases here."

Fin leans toward her. "How's it goin'? he asks. "What happened with Tucker?"

Olivia's head whips toward him. Her eyes narrow. "Someone posted bail for Alex and Tucker at the same time, brought them out to Coney Island, Tucker never made it home." She sighs as she slams the space bar on her computer. "That's all we have."

Fin lowers his voice, his eyes flit toward Cragen's door as he whispersward Cragen'it toward Crageb', "You don't think Alex…"

"I don't know what to think," she cuts in, harshly. "This case isn't my job, Fin. Cragen's got me on it, he won't tell me why, he knows damn well there's something going on with me and Elliot and he's pushing us to work this together. Normally, he'd pull me off a case where Alex was the prime suspect. Nothing about this makes sense."

Fin can do nothing but stare, listen as she rants. "I get it," he finally says. "I don't know how you don't see it."

"What am I supposed to see?" she asks, leaning back in her chair and looking up at Fin.

"Cragen needs you on this because he knows you'd stop at nothing to solve this case," Fin tells her. "He knows you do your best work with Stabler, and he knows that you're pushed by the personal stakes here, and be honest, Baby-Girl, there was something going on with you and Stabler for years. It never affected your work."

She narrows her eyes. She folds her arms, and she blinks once. "Nothing ever happened between…"

"Physically," Fin shrugs. "But anyone with working eyes could see the way you looked at each other, the way you moved together. It didn't take me, shit, longer than a day to assume you two were packin' it up."

Olivia rolls her eyes and chuckles, then she sighs. "I gotta get back upstairs," she says, standing up. "I just needed to…"

"Hey," Fin interjects. "You don't have to tell me. I know better than anyone that ya just gotta take a break from Stabler once in a while."

Olivia smirks. "It wasn't Stabler I needed the break from," she says, walking toward the door.

Amaro looks after her as she leaves and then turns toward Fin. "What is that supposed to…"

"She needed a break from Homicide," Fin says, shaking his head. "We have work to do." He slaps Amaro on the back, then heads for Cragen's office, not even knocking before he opens the door.

Amaro squints, then licks his lips as he moves back toward his desk, picking up a file and the phone, getting back to work.

* * *

><p>"Where'd you go?" Elliot asks, not even turning as he hears Olivia stepping back toward him.<p>

She chuckles. "Downstairs," she said. "I needed to check on a few things."

"Found out who bailed out Alex and Tucker," he said, turning to her, handing her a slip of paper.

She takes the paper out of his hand, eyeing him, then looks down. "Are you…are you sure?"

"I talked to everyone in the office, Liv," he says. "Morales has the tapes. It was her."

Olivia shakes her head, then runs a hand down her face. "This is so fully fucked…"

"Here," he interrupts, handing her a cup of coffee. "Drink it, then we'll go talk to her."

"Olivia!"

Elliot and Olivia both turn at the sound of her name as it's shouted, and they furrow their brows as Trevor Langan rushes toward them. "What?" Olivia asks, putting the lukewarm coffee down on Elliot's desk.

Langan tries to breathe. "Alex," he says. "She's gone."

"Gone?" Elliot questions. "What do you mean, she's gone?"

"She's not in holding, she's not at her place, she's not at her office," Langan babbles. "I think…I think she broke into my office, too."

Elliot sits up a little straighter. "Did she take anything?"

Langan folds his arms. "My desk was turned inside out and she took…she took files."

"Which files?" Elliot asks, getting ready to write it down.

Langan ran a hand down his face and let out a heavy sigh. "Yours. Both of you. The last three cases you worked together where I played defense, and she took…Elliot, she's got your SVU jacket."

Olivia tilts her head. "What? What's she gonna do with…"

Elliot looks up with horror in his eyes. "Names, Liv," he says. "Addresses. She's going after anyone she did favors for to keep us out of trouble."

"She started with Tucker," Olivia figured. "She's taking down anyone who could testify against her."

"Yeah," Elliot nods. "And now, thanks to Donnelly, she's got help." He grabs his keys and looks at Olivia. "You ready?"

She nods back at him. "Let's end this," she says, and she follows Elliot out of the squad room, leaving a distraught Trevor Langan alone in their tracks.

**A/N: the case comes to a head, next**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: It's been a long time coming...**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and the characters; TStabler© owns the story you're about to read.**

"I don't know where she is," Judge Elizabeth Donnelly says with folded arms. "What makes you think I do?"

Elliot looks at Olivia. "You bailed her out," he says, reaching into his chest pocket. He hands the judge a folded paper. "That's your name, your signature, isn't it?"

Donnelly unfolds the paper, smirks, and says, "She's a good woman. A damn fine lawyer. She doesn't have anyone in her life who'd find a way to get the money, like some people." She gives Elliot and Olivia each a pointed look and says, "I put up the bail. After that, she was on her own."

"You bailed her out and then just walked away," Olivia says skeptically. "That's risking your investment."

Elliot slams his hands down on Donnelly's desk. "Sergeant Tucker is dead," he grits out. "Alex is the prime suspect. She wouldn't have killed him if you had stayed with her! You wanna go down for accessory to..."

"I resent your implication, Detective," Donnelly interrupts, "How dare you..."

Elliot holds up a hand. "Save your breath. We know you were with her for at least an hour after you posted her bail. You don't have to tell us, we can get the security tapes."

"What tapes?" Donnelly asks, shaking slightly now.

"Trevor Langan gave us a pretty solid lead," Elliot begins, folding his arms. "With his statement, we can get access to the security tapes from the lobby, your office, and hers."

Donnelly laughs. "Since when are you two buddy-buddy with Trevor Langan?" She rolls her eyes and sat back. "Let me guess, you all made nice when he defended Detective Benson?"

Elliot growls under his breath. "She didn't need defending, she was cleared before a trial was even.."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Donnelly butts in again, "But wasn't Tucker the one who arrested her? Pushed to find her guilty? Interrogated her? Made her look like a dirty cop?"

"What are you getting at?" Elliot snaps.

Donnelly grins. "You have a damn good reason to want the man dead. Why are you so determined to find Alex? Need a scapegoat for your own crime?"

"Give it up, Liz!" Olivia breaks in, then, too. "You know damn well Elliot had nothing to do with this. We know it was Alex," she explains. She shakes her head and grits her teeth. "Trevor is...was her lawyer and he was just doing his job by coming to us when he realized she was gone. She broke into Trevor's office, and there are files missing from Novak's! That means she came back here, and since the board stripped her of her card and her keys, you're the only one who..."

"All right!" Donnelly yells, pounding her fists on her desk. She closes her eyes and sighs. "I brought her back here, okay? She told me she left her wallet in her office, I let her in...she never came back out. I honestly...I truly do not know where she is."

"Was that really so hard?" Olivia asks, then looks at Elliot. "Do you believe her?"

He pulls his cuffs out of his back pocket. "I think we can get more of an honest answer out of her if we..."

"I don't know where she is!" Donnelly yells louder. "I thought she was innocent, I never thought she'd run off, you want the tapes, take them!"

Elliot smiles. "Thanks for your cooperation, Your Honor." He puts his cuffs back into his pocket, loops an arm around Olivia, and heads out of Donnelly's chambers and toward the security office.

* * *

><p>"Where the hell have you two been?" Cragen booms, heading toward the two detectives walking into the squad room. "Do you have any idea how long..."<p>

Elliot holds up a hand. "You don't get to yell at me anymore," he says, stifling the urge to yawn. "And Liv is working a case for a different unit so technically, you don't get to yell at her, either."

Cragen's eyes are wide, his jaw slacks a bit. "You've lost your damn mind."

Elliot runs a hand down his face, scrubbing and rubbing, then finally let's out that yawn. "Donnelly was telling the truth," he says. "It's all on tape. She was outside waiting for Alex for an hour after she let her in. We've been looking everywhere for Cabot. She's gone completely off the grid."

"Found her cell phone under an overpass," Olivia says, tossing the bagged device onto Amaro's desk. "She knew we'd track the GPS signal, she tossed it on her way to God-Knows-Where." She bites her bottom lip. "Guess years of working with us gave her everything she needed to commit the perfect murder."

Amaro chuckles and folds his arms, then looks up at Elliot. "Hey, Stabler, aren't you and God pals? Call in a favor," he jokes.

Elliot doesn't laugh. Instead, he sighs and grabs a hold of Olivia's hand. "I asked him for one already," he says, looking into her eyes. He turns back to Amaro and shakes his head. "I'm not getting greedy with him."

Amaro narrows his eyes, then asks, "So what's the plan?"

Olivia speaks before Elliot can. "Three guys from Homicide are still canvassing, I actually did call in a favor, obviously not from God, which should..."

"Whoa," Fin interrupts. "Benson asked for help? This case must really be pissin' you off."

Olivia rolls her eyes and briefly forgets she's still holding Elliot's hand. "Tucker's dead," she repeats for the twelfth time since it happened. "I can't say I'll miss him because he was never anything but an ass to me and Elliot, but he was a cop. A good one. He didn't deserve to go down like that, and if Alex..."

Cragen stops her before she gets emotional. "Who's doing you what favor?" he asks, his eyes flickering from her face to her hand, clutching Elliot's.

"I called Dean," she admits, licking her lips and scraping the bottom one with her teeth.

It's an action that doesn't go unnoticed by Elliot, and he tugs on her hand. "Agent Porter is handling things for a while," he says, pulling Olivia toward the stairs. "We're catching a few winks. I don't think I need to tell you neither of us has gotten much sleep."

Munch looks after them, a pair of smiling eyes hidden behind his shades, and he shouts, "Because of the case or because of each other?"

Elliot opens the door to the cribs and shoots up a lewd gesture in Munch's direction before ushering Olivia into the bunkroom. He follows and lets the door slam behind him.

Olivia turns to him, yawns, and plops herself on the nearest bed. "El, do you honestly think..."

"I don't want to believe she's a killer," he says in a low tone, taking off his jacket. He loosens his tie as he sits beside her. "She could be innocent here, Liv, but we still need to find her to prove that."

"She shot Greg," she reminds him, "She could have killed him."

"Honey," he begins, kissing her neck, "I was gonna shoot Greg myself." His attempt at a joke fails as he feels her sink deeper into him.

She sighs and smoothes her hands under his shirt, up his back. "I'd rather have dealt with you shooting him. At least that makes sense."

He laughs slightly and kisses the crown of her head. "Me shooting Tucker makes a lot of sense, too. Maybe Alex is more like me than any of us ever..."

"Could we not?" Olivia interrupts, pushing away slightly. She looks up at him as her nails scrape back down his back. "I don't want to talk about this right now," she says softly, a look of sadness, devotion, and admiration in her eyes.

He loses his breath and the will to speak as he stares back at her. The look in her eyes drives him nearly insane and he can do little more than nod. He swallows hard and tries to inhale, and when it becomes too much to bear he presses his lips to hers hard.

She moans, stunned, but kisses him back. Her hands clutch at whatever muscles they'd been caressing.

He grunts as he rolls, pushing her onto her back and into the middle of the mattress. He's lost now, his lips on hers, his tongue delving, feeling, tasting, devouring her. His hands find their way to the button fly on her black pants and he moans, hearing the plunk of her shoes hitting the floor.

Her feet slide up his legs as her pants slide down, and she gladly kicks them off completely when they're low enough. Her nails burrow deeper into his skin as he fights his way out of his own clothes without peeling his lips off of hers.

He gasps, finally sitting up, straddling her. He pants as he throws off his tie and unbuttons his shirt. He moans and closes his eyes when her nails rake over his chest, and he drops his shirt to the ground. He smiles down at her and then bends his head, latching onto her neck. He suckles it as he struggles out of his slacks, and when he hears them land on the hardwood, he gingerly unbuttons her shirt. His fingertips graze her skin as the silky material falls open, and off.

She moans again, his name, over and over, like a chant. He fumbles for the clasp of her bra and greedily frees her from the offensive garment. She presses her lips together, stifling the loud groan as his mouth wraps around her right nipple. "Oh, God," she keens.

He throws her bra and shirt to the side, not knowing or caring where they land, and he grinds his teeth just a bit, making her seethe and wriggle. Both hands snake up her legs, to her thighs, and he grips.

She feels her body tense and shudder as he spreads her legs, and she holds her breath as she watches one of his hands tug hard on her panties, tearing them off and away.

"Sorry," he mumbles, her nipple still in his mouth, but he's not apologetic at all. He kisses his way up her chest and neck, finding her lips once again. He kisses her deeply, madly, as his fingers dance up and down her slickening slit. He groans, into her mouth, as one finger pushes through and crooks inside of her.

"Oh, God, Elliot," she moans louder, her nails embedded in his shoulder blades. She writhes beneath him, determined to shove his hand away. "You," she whispers, nudging his nose with hers. "I want you, El."

He stills, freezes, and stares down at her, holding her intense gaze as he shifts his weight and moves his hand. He palms her hips, then slides his left hand down her thigh to loop behind her right leg. He lifts, gently holding behind her knee, then pulls back to watch her face as he thrusts, filling her.

She swallows the cry that had built in her throat, but her eyes water and widen as she claws down and up his back. She works one hand to the back of his neck and yanks him down to her, kissing him again.

He moves slow, deep. hard, and it takes all of his resolve to stay quiet. He knows people below would hear it if he let loose the way he so desperately wants to. He grunts in the same tempo as he thrusts into her, and part of him resents the fact that he can't make her scream.

She feels him moving faster, deeper, harder. She can hear their skin slapping as it meets, she can feel him reach spots no one has ever hit before, and it makes her shake. She arches her back as his name flies in a whisper from her, and her eyes roll. Her mouth falls open as her head drops back.

"Fuck," he hisses, then nips at her neck as he brings them both closer to release. He bites a bit harder as he feels her nails scraping down his body and he chuckles evilly when her hands cup and squeeze his ass. He hits into her harder then, giving her what she's silently begging for, and he kisses her to drown the sensuous noises she's making. With one last thrust he feels her quake under him, pulse around him, and he catches every whimper she gives as he explodes and fires into her.

Slowly, she kisses him, she lightly drags her fingertips along his glistening skin, and she opens her eyes. She sees a light in his now she's never noticed before, and she whispers something that she'd only just realized she could actually admit out loud. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Liv," he says to her with a warm smile. He kisses both cheeks, her forehead, and her lips, and spends a few minutes just being with her. He slips out of her, then sighs. "Not to be the bearer of bad news..."

"I know," she whines, her hands slipping down his arms, not wanting to let him go even as he moves away. She sits up then, and she's a bit surprised when he reaches for her clothes first. Raising an eyebrow, she lets him redress her, and returns the favor in silence.

Soft kisses take the place of words as he buttons her shirt, as she ties his tie and straightens it, as they slip into their shoes. One more long, slow, kiss snaps them out of their haze and as Elliot opens the door, they land back into work-mode with a hard and painful thud.

They take the steps two at a time, feeling energized and refreshed after spending an hour alone together, but their renewed vigor is fleeting. Simultaneously, their eyes land on the blonde in the middle of the room and they both freeze.

"Maureen?" Olivia questions before running to the teenager.

Elliot follows, wrapping his arms around both Olivia and his daughter. "Honey," he says, kissing Maureen's cheek, "What are you doing here?"

"We got your message," Maureen says, narrowing her eyes. "The rest of..."

"What message?" Elliot asks, fear striking him.

Maureen looks at Olivia, then back at her father. "You texted me," she said, "You said to get Dickie and Lizzie and Kathleen and get down here because you needed to tell us something about you and mom."

"I didn't text you, Mo," Elliot affirms. "Liv convinced me to get this new phone, and trust me, if I texted you, you'd need a decoder ring to figure out what I said."

Maureen stares at her father in confusion as his other three children filter into the room, but they're not alone. "Dad?" she asks, ignoring her brother and sisters walking toward her, "If you didn't get us down here, then...who did?"

Elliot scrubs a hand down his face. "Give me your phone," he says, holding out his hand. "We're gonna find out."

"El?" Olivia chirps, a slight horror in her voice. "I think I already know," she says, holding up her phone to him.

Elliot furrows his brow as he reads the text, looks at the picture beneath it, and shakes his head in disbelief. "You guys...you're gonna stay at Liv's until we get outta here, okay? You know where she keeps the pizza money, order whatever you want." He looks around, unsure of what to do, and he finally figures it out. "Hey, Fin?"

"Yeah," Fin nods, knowing what he's wanted for. "Gimme your key."

Elliot twists the key to Olivia's apartment off of his keychain and slaps it into Fin's open palm. "Thanks, man," he says. As he hugs his kids goodbye, he eyes Cragen, and he shakes his head. He waves to his kids one last time as they leave the room, and then he folds his arms. "Well, we may not know where Alex is, but we know who she's with."

Cragen screws up his face and tilts his head. "What? Who?"

Elliot looks at Olivia, takes a deep breath, and looks back at Cragen. "Kathy."

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: When will you realize, it's all just a game?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong only to Dick Wolf. This story belongs to TStabler©**

"Slow down," Olivia says, her hands on the ceiling of the car, her breath rapid and her eyes wide. It's the first thing she's said for the last ten minutes, since someone told them where Alex had taken Kathy. She swallows hard and cringes when the car narrowly misses a hot dog cart. "Slow down!" she says louder.

"Hold on," Elliot spits back, turning the wheel. The car swerves sharply and squeals as it picks up more speed around a corner. He checks the dashboard clock and hits the gas, his narrow eyes gleaming as his nostrils flare.

Olivia looks at him, and though she knows he's on the job and in the zone, she asks again. "El, please, slow down?"

"I'll do ya one better," he bites, twisting the wheel again and slamming on the breaks.

The car screeches as it stops, half up on the curb in front of an old warehouse. Elliot rips off his seatbelt and bolts from the vehicle, leaving the door open.

Olivia curses under her breath, follows him, and yells, "Damn it, Elliot! Wait!" She watches as he carelessly pulls his gun out, kicks in the door, and walks into the building alone. She huffs as she draws her gun, aims it in front of her, and runs after him. "Elliot! Shit," she hisses, shaking her head.

"Shh," he hushes, not turning around to look at her. He's moving slowly now, keeping his eyes peeled as he peeks in doorways and looks around corners. "You see anything?"

"Just a crazy cop with a gun," Olivia chides.

"Liv, she's got...she said she had Kathy," Elliot says, his voice low, pained. "If anything happens to her because of me..."

"El," Olivia stops him, reaching out toward something on the wall that's caught her eyes. "You've gotta be shitting me," she gripes, ripping the note off of the plaster.

"What?" Elliot asks, walking back toward Olivia.

She raises both eyes as she hands him the letter. "She never had Kathy, El. She's screwing with us," she says.

Elliot shakes his head as he reads, "Nothing's more fun than sending New York's finest on a wild goose chase. But who's chasing who? Get ready for round two. Alex."

"Whom," Olivia snaps, grabbing the note back from Elliot. "This is really not how I thought..."

Elliot's cell phone rings, cutting off her complaint. He pulls it out of his pocket and stares at it. "How do I..."

Rolling her eyes, Olivia takes his phone. "You just slide the little icon and then push here to answer." She does, and then hands it back to him.

"Stabler," he says, a little too loudly. "Sorry, sorry. Yeah, no one's here, Alex is just playing...what? No I didn't text Kathy, Cap, I can't even answer this thing on my own yet. She what? No, no, we're coming back. Thanks." He hands his phone to Olivia, watches her laugh as she ends his call, and he says, "I think Alex has my old phone."

Olivia squints. "What? El, that makes no..."

"Someone sent Kathy a text message asking her to pick up the kids at the station," Elliot interrupts again. "Just like someone texted Maureen to be there in the first place. The messages are coming from me, Liv. My phone number, my name. Maybe I didn't drop it during a chase, maybe she took it."

Olivia bites her lip and sighs. "Well, what matters is the kids and Kathy are safe, so we can..."

"I'm not still in love with her," he says over her.

Her head tilts. Her eyes narrow. "What?"

"I just...I know what that looked like. Me driving like a madman, running to her rescue. I love her, she's the mother of my kids, but I'm not in love with her." He moves, holstering his gun and taking her hand. "If it had been you...fuck, Liv, I would have driven faster, and Alex wouldn't have gotten out alive."

She looks into his eyes, confused yet oddly relieved. "Breathe," she tells him. She lifts her free hand to his face and caresses, her thumb swiping under his eye, and he relaxes. "Just breathe, El." She leans in, kisses his lips gently, and says, "I know."

"You know? You know what? How do you know?" he jumbles, pushing her out of the dusty building and out toward their still-running car.

She takes a deep breath of her own. "El, why do you think I couldn't take the shot with Gitano? Why you couldn't shoot Rojas." She's halfway in the car before she says, "I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner."

He smiles at her, then walks around to the driver's side and sits. He hears her door slam, so he closes his and puts the car into reverse. "I will never be the reason you're hurt, or in pain, or worse. I promise you that. But God help anyone who dares to..."

"Hey, El?" Olivia says, shutting him up.

He raises an eyebrow.

She smirks. "Shut up and drive."

* * *

><p>"More coffee?" Amaro offers, holding out the pot.<p>

Elliot makes a face, Olivia turns an odd shade of green, and Fin simply shakes his head.

Amaro smiles. "Munch didn't make it, I did," he says, and like a flash he's surrounded by mugs and cups. He chuckles as he fills them one by one, and he looks at Elliot. "So tell me again why you're down here and not up there."

"Cragen and Haggirty are having a pissing contest upstairs about why this case hasn't been closed and who's budget is being drained," Elliot says, sipping the non-toxic coffee.

Olivia yawns as she holds a steaming mug to her lips. "And Cragen's demanding I get back to sex crimes, he wants me off this case. I told him...I told him that if anyone was either taking Alex down or proving her innocence, it would be me." She finally sips her coffee. "And Elliot."

Casey, flipping through a file, shoots her head up. "Well, maybe if the lead detective on the case wasn't too busy playing 'pet-the-kitty' with his partner, we'd have a solid lead on where she is."

"What's the matter, Novak?" Elliot asks with a smirk. "Jealous?"

"Stabler, I wouldn't want you touching me if you were the last man in the universe," Casey tells him.

Munch holds up a finger. "I know some interesting people from the planet Vishnu..."

"Not now, Munch," Elliot says. He takes another sip of his coffee and closes his eyes. "Think. Who would have a reason to want Tucker dead and know how to pin it on Alex?"

Fin folds his arms. "You don't think she did it?"

"Fin, she's a criminal, but she's not a killer," Olivia says. "Why do you think she's playing games with us? She has Elliot's old phone, she led us to that warehouse and made sure we knew that she could get people to think...oh, my God," she says, sitting up. "That's it!"

"Let us in on your little secret there, Benson," Amaro says, perching on the edge of her desk.

Olivia looks up and a small smile crosses her face. "We thought it was Alex because we found her cell phone under a bench near Tucker's body, and there were outgoing texts on it, to Tucker, telling him to meet her there."

"So she was making a point that anyone could have taken her phone," Elliot says, catching on. "Anyone could have sent those texts from her phone."

"Son of bitch," Casey snorts. "The blonde bimbo handed you reasonable doubt."

Olivia slaps a hand down on her desk. "Alex didn't kill anyone."

"Do you really believe that, Olivia?" a low voice asks from the doorway. Alex steps into the room, her hair short and dyed brown, her eyes red from crying, her face white with fear. "Please, Olivia, tell me you believe me now."

Olivia looks at Elliot, then back at Alex, and she nods. "Come on," she says, walking toward her. "El, get her a cup of coffee?"

"You got it, baby," he says, getting out of his seat and heading for the coffee pot.

Amaro, Fin, and Munch watch as Elliot walks, with a cup of coffee in his hands, toward Olivia and Alex, and the three of them head into an open interrogation room. Amaro cocks an eyebrow. "Baby?"

Munch and Fin laugh, and pat Amaro on the back before getting back to their own cases. But then Fin turns, his face twisted in thought. "Hold up," he says. "Novak, you got that file from when Alex got pinched for shooting Greg?"

Casey nods. "Of course," he says. "I have everything." She fumbles through her briefcase for a moment before pulling a thin file out and handing it to Fin. "Why?"

"I have a habit of readin' over people's shoulders," Fin says. "Liv was readin' this, I was lookin' and saw somethin' I think they can use." He looks then finally spots it. "Here, right here. Alex threw her phone at him before shootin' him. Maybe the hospital can tell us if it was collected with his shit. If he had it when he got discharged then..."

"Someone go tell Lucy and Ricky that!" Casey snaps, ripping her file back.

"Who?" Amaro questions. He sees the looks he's getting and it hits him. "Oh, right, right." He runs off toward the interrogation room, hoping to earn points with them for breaking the case.

Cragen clears his throat and as the heads turn toward him, he folds his arms. "You wanna get back to working your own cases? Homicide already stole two of my best detectives." He shakes his head. "Where's Rollins?"

"With a vic at Mercy," Fin says.

"When she gets back," Cragen sighs, "You ride with her out to Madison Ave. You got a vic that's refusing to go to the hospital until she talks to us."

Munch furrows his brow and looks over his glasses. "Who would be stupid enough to do that?"

Cragen rubs his eyes before answering. "Judge Donnelly."

**A/N: ...a tense, and also minorly smutty, next chapter to come. **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Real eyes realize real lies.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters belong only to Dick Wolf. This story belongs to TStabler©**

"Are you sure?" Olivia asks softly, her eyes unblinking at the file in her hands.

Fin nods, crosses his arms, and leans back against his desk. "Guys in the lab are runnin' tests. If the DNA's a match, we're bringin' him in," he tells her. Then he sighs. "Look, Baby-Girl, I know we don't get involved in each other's personal shit, but I gotta ask you. You and him...you never..."

"One date, Fin," Olivia interrupts, finally looking up from the folder.

Fin raises an eyebrow. "Doesn't answer my question."

Elliot snaps, then, rising out of his seat. "Are you fucking serious right now?" he yells. "She went to dinner with him, she came home early, she didn't sleep with him!" He takes two harsh steps toward him. "Do you really think she's the kinda woman that would..."

"El," Olivia stops him gently, stepping between him and Fin. She pushes both hands against his chest and she looks into his eyes. "Let it go."

"Bullshit," he barks, looking past her and glaring at Fin. "Apologize!" he orders.

Fin shakes his head and takes another deep breath. "I had to ask," he shrugs. "Personal opinion aside, man. This guy...if he woulda had the chance...I just don't want Liv gettin' thrown into this. If this fucker can use a relationship with her as leverage, or an alibi, I need to know."

"There was no relationship," Elliot spits. "There was one date. One really bad date." He looks down at Olivia, in front of him, and he softens a bit. "Right?"

Olivia laughs a bit at his protectiveness, at his jealousy, and she nods as she turns to look at Fin. "There were a few phone calls, a couple of brief meetings at the courthouse, but just one date. Dinner and drinks, and the whole time...well, that was the night Elliot came back...so I wasn't really..."

"Oh," Fin says, intruding on her explanation. "Okay then." He slides over to her desk and picks up the file, then presses his lips together for a second. "She asked for you," he says to her. "She didn't want to talk to Rollins, she wanted you." He narrowed his eyes. "Get this asshole, close this case, and get your ass back to work for your own unit, huh?"

Olivia offers him a small smile and she nods, then looks over her shoulder at Elliot, who has suddenly gone white and blank. "El? You okay?"

He blinks, as if just waking from a bad dream. "Yeah," he says. "Fine. We should...we should go down to the lab. See if..." he clears his throat as he waves a finger at the folder in Fin's hand.

"Yeah," Olivia agrees, raising an eyebrow. She moves toward him again, rests one hand on his shoulder, and gently nudges him toward the door. She waits until they're down the hall and inside the elevator before finally asking. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," he answers automatically, though he's still pale, shaky. "Nothing. I'm...I'm good."

She turns to fully face him and she gives him a hard expression, one she's been known to make when she needs answers from someone. "Elliot," she says, warning him.

He sighs and closes his eyes. "When Fin said..." he stops. He swallows. "I forgot that this was temporary." He looks at her, his eyes now softer, yet sadder. "When this case closes, I go back upstairs, this ends." He runs both hands over his face, trying to shake off the tension. "I guess I just forgot that you're not really my..."

"Partner," she finishes quietly, understanding. She watches him nod, then she tilts her head. She reaches for his tie, gently taking the silk between her fingers. She pulls him to her, pressing her lips to his as the elevator stops. As she pulls away, the doors open, and she says, "For better or worse, El."

Stunned, and slightly confused, he sees her wink at him, then turn away and step out of the metal box. He smoothes out his tie as he follows her, making a mental note to ask her what she meant when they have a moment alone.

* * *

><p>"I'm honestly surprised you asked me here, Olivia," Greg says, smirking as he pours two glasses of wine. "After everything that's happened, I thought...well, and then there's Stabler."<p>

"He's a hothead," Olivia says with a shrug. "I realized I needed someone more...normal," she chuckles. She takes the glass he's offering her, and she shoots her eyes over his shoulder to get a visual on Elliot, perched at the bar. She smirks as she sips.

Greg, laughing, drops his napkin into his lap and leans over the table. "So, I take it, you no longer consider me a suspect?"

"Oh, no," Olivia says, folding her hands on the edge of the table. "We know who killed Tucker. Oh," she says, moving fast and shuffling around in her evening bag. She pulls her cell phone out and holds up a finger at him. "Sorry, can you...I just need to make a quick phone call."

Greg huffs and falls back into his chair, but he nods. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

"Thanks," Olivia says sweetly, smiling as she dials. She winks at him playfully as she holds the phone to her ear, and in seconds a chirping noise filters out of his left pocket. She quirks an eyebrow at him and the smile fades. "You gonna get that?" she asks.

"Uh, um," he fumbles, clumsily trying to find the ringing phone. He pulls it out and looks down at the screen in horror. "Olivia, what are you..."

"That's Alex Cabot's cell phone," she says, pushing a button on her own cell to end the call. "You took it out of her office the day you barged in to see her." She stands, reaching behind her back. "You lured Tucker to the carnival, you shot him, and you left the phone behind."

"Olivia," Greg defends, rising with raised hands. "You've got this all wrong. You're letting your friendship with Alex..."

"And you attacked Judge Donnelly," she interrupts, a pair of shiny, silver cuffs dangling from her fingertips. "You're a very sloppy guy, Greg. And you have really bad aim."

His eyes widen. "Where the hell did you have those?" he asks.

"Wouldn't you like to know," a gruff voice hisses in his ear.

Greg winces as both of his arms are pulled backward and he flinches when Olivia tosses her cuffs to Elliot. "Aren't you gonna read me my rights?"

Olivia folds her arms. "You're a lawyer," she says. "You know your rights." She grabs him under one arm and moves, Elliot holding him firmly on the other side. She can hear Elliot spouting off a more violent and vulgar version of the Miranda, and she chuckles. "Told ya he was a hot head," she quips as they leave the bar.

Once outside, the pair thrust Greg into the waiting arms of Munch and Fin. "Book him on the rape," Elliot says, nodding as he pulls the cuffs of his shirtsleeves down. "Then make sure he's up in Homicide, waiting, because I have a few questions of my own for this son of a bitch," he adds, snarling at Greg.

The cuffed man lets out a whimper as he's shoved into the police car, and he can do little more than stare at Olivia in shock as the vehicle drives away.

After a moment of watching the flashing lights fade, Elliot turns to Olivia. "I'm not normal?"

She laughs and wraps her arms around his waist. "Oh, no," she tells him, shaking her head. "You...are...extraordinary."

He smiles as he kisses her, his hands sliding down her body. "This dress..." he bites his lip. "You only wear it undercover. Why?"

"Because," she whispers, leaning closer to him. "I think it distracts the guy we're trying to bring down."

"Definitely bringing me to my knees," he quips, nipping at her lips. "So...make me confess, Detective."

She kisses him, and she can feel that he's moving her, pulling her, but with closed eyes and busy lips she can't tell where they're going. Suddenly, she feels her back hit something solid, and she pulls her lips away from him. She opens her eyes, seeing him looking fiercely at her as his hands slip up her dress.

He grunts as he tears away the thin lace of her panties, and he gives her a questioning look.

She chuckles. "You were supposed to take the dress off first," she says as she rolls her eyes, the brick wall behind her snagging on the material as she moves.

"No time for that," he tells her, shaking his head, and he looks around the alley to make sure they're alone. He grabs her, then, and pulls her to him, then turns so it's him that's pressed against the side of the building. He moans at the feeling of her hand down his pants, grabbing and stroking him as she shoves his pants down just enough to make this work.

She gasps a bit as he lifts her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. She bites her bottom lip and looks into his eyes as he thrusts once then stops, settling into her. Her eyes flutter and her head falls to his chest, a low, long moan escapes her, and her nails dig into him.

His hands are under her, holding her up and tight against him, and he can feel himself throbbing as she pulses around him in anticipation. "Liv," he moans, rolling his head. "Baby?"

She lifts her head and looks at him, a drugged haze in her eyes, and she kisses him. "Yes, El," she affirms, though no question has been asked.

"What did you mean...before," he struggles to ask the question as both of them begin to move, slowly. "For better or worse?"

"You said that to me once," she tells him, dropping soft kisses to his neck. "You're my partner, for better or worse, El." She drags her teeth along his skin, and he moans loudly. "It doesn't have to mean at work."

Her words make him realize something, and thrusts a little harder, a little faster. "Yeah?" he asks with a seductive yet cocky grin.

"Oh, God, yes," she answers with a laugh and a moan.

He grunts and tries to find firmer footing as he begins to slam into her. Letting the conversation go, he latches on, kissing her hard and deep. One hand slides from under her leg to the side of her head and he fists her hair as he pounds away, feeling her tighten already.

She moans in short stammers into his kiss, her hands claw at him, her body rolls into him, and she knows that he's bringing her closer and closer to the brink with every move he makes. She pries her lips away and rests her forehead against his. "Oh, God, Elliot," she whimpers breathily. "Oh, my God."

He moans her name in return, answering her every soft sound with a grunt, and he feels her body tighten even more. He holds her tighter, and he thrusts upward, hard and slow, five times in almost violent rhythmic succession. On his last hit, he lets go, letting a few curses fly as his head falls back into the wall.

She follows, her eyes shutting as her neck bends, her back arches, and her body vibrates around his. She tries to look at him, her vision blurry, and she rolls into him twice more, unwilling to let the moment end.

They're quiet now, and still, breathing heavily as they stay entwined, connected. "Holy," he breathes.

"Shit," she finishes with a chuckle. She kisses him slowly, calming them both, then pecks her way over his chin, down his neck. "We should..."

"Yeah," he sighs, letting her fall away from him. It's no sooner that her feet are back on solid ground that his cell phone rings. He rolls his eyes and zips his pants up before answering with a gruff, "Stabler."

Olivia offers joking applause, he's successfully answered the phone on his own, but she sees that he's not smiling back at her, and she drops her hands. She steps toward him, her legs still weak, and she pulls on his suit jacket as she looks at him with curious eyes.

He holds up a finger. "Yes, Sir," he says, "I will. I just...won't that be against..." he pauses and he smiles. "Right, yeah, I, uh...I forgot about that." He looks down at Olivia and he bids his caller farewell. He taps the button, ends the call, then kisses her. "Enough fucking around, Detective. Get back to work."

She laughs as both eyebrows rise. "Don't get too pushy, Stabler. You're not my boss."

"Actually, baby," he pauses as he looks down at his phone, then slides it into his pocket. "I am."

**A/N: One last realization. Next.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Realize love when it's right in front of you.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and all related characters. TStabler owns the following story.**

Barreling through the hallway, she ignores Elliot's calls behind her. She's faster than him, more confused and slightly pissed off. "What the hell?" she snaps, making her way into the squad room.

A few people stop, look up, stare. Fin has a file in his hands and a scared look in his eyes. "If you're lookin' for Greg he's..."

"No, where the hell is Cragen?" she asks, her eyes flashing something between fear and anger.

"He's right here," Cragen's voice interferes, sounding annoyed.

Olivia turns, then, her eyes now wide. "You're still...you're not...Elliot said he was..."

An out of breath Elliot interrupts. "I tried to explain it to her," he said, waving a hand in her direction. "She took off like a bat out of hell and wouldn't listen to me," he shrugs and plops into what was once his chair, earning an offended look from the blonde detective who uses it now.

Cragen folds his arms and shakes his head. "He's not replacing me, Olivia. He's replacing Tucker."

Olivia's heart drops down to her chest from her throat, and she can feel it slowing to a normal pace. "Really?" she asks, turning around, giving Elliot a sheepish, apologetic look.

Elliot shrugs. "Seemed like a good idea at the time, but seeing how you reacted when I thought I was gonna be your Captain, I..."

"El," she butts in, taking a step toward him. She perches on the corner of the desk he's using and the blonde behind her rolls her eyes again. She doesn't notice, and carries on. "When I thought you were taking over as Captain...I didn't know how...this would work." She wags a finger between them and bites her bottom lip. "I panicked because I thought they fired Cragen because of us, and if you were taking his job..."

He grabs her hand and shakes his head, leaning closer to her. "Listen to me," he says, staring into her eyes. "I'm only saying this once, because I shouldn't have to say it at all." He blinks and clears his throat. "Nothing is gonna stop me from loving you, being with you. If anyone or anything came at me, made me choose, I will always choose you." He brushes the side of her hand with his thumb and a small smile creeps over his lips. "No job in the world, no amount of money in the universe, would be enough for me to walk away from you. Ever."

She's silent, staring at him, and something clicks in the back of her mind. "Holy shit," she says softly, light bulbs turning on brightly behind her eyes. She feels like she's heard this all before, and a crack in her heart that has been there for years begins to fuse. "You tried to tell me..."

"A hundred times," he whispers, looking away from her and dropping her hand. "I just...couldn't. I was married, we were partners, that's...you know that was a big part of why I left and the only reason I came back." His eyes meet hers again and they've never looked bluer than they do right now. "To be with you."

A silence falls over the bit of it that's exposed to the intimate conversation. The staring contest between Olivia and Elliot would carry on forever if it could, Fin is trying hard not to laugh, Munch is trying hard not to cry.

Nick Amaro is the one to break the tension, as he comes out of the interrogation room with a notepad in his hands. "Full confession," he says, giving the yellow book a shake.

"Oh, uh," Olivia snaps out of her trance, "Good." She nods at him. "That's good."

"He's all yours," Amaro tells Elliot. "I think you might make him cry, can we tape it? I'd love to..."

"I'm not interrogating him," Elliot says, running both hands down his face. "I'm not with Homicide anymore."

Amaro drops the notebook on his desk. "They fired you already? Is it because you and Benson..."

"I'm with IAB now," Elliot says quickly, narrowing his eyes. He smirks slightly as he sees the frightened look in Amaro's eyes. "Watch your step, kid," he warns, half-serious.

"If you're all done with your little pow-wow," a low female voice breaks in, "I'd like to work on your statements for trial."

Olivia turns, her gaze landing on Casey Novak. "Which one?"

Casey steps toward them, her heels clicking on the tiles as she moves. She hands Olivia one file, then hands Elliot a thicker one. "The People versus Alexandra Cabot."

Olivia swallows the lump that instantly built in her throat as she opens her file. "How did she get mixed up in this," she asks herself, rereading her friend's copied written statement.

"Well," Casey sighs, "As much as it kills me to admit, most of what she did was to protect herself, her friends, her...family." She pushes her hair behind her ears. "There really wasn't much she did, or didn't do, that didn't have a philanthropic motive, and that's why the charges are less severe than I would like."

"What do you have against her, Novak?" Elliot asks, tilting his head.

"The same thing I have against Henshall, Langan, and the two of you," Casey says, pointing first at him and then at Elliot. "Anyone who puts personal interests and motives in the way of upholding the law and protecting the innocent doesn't land on my good side."

Elliot rises, fuming. "Are you telling me that you've been giving me shit for what I did last year?"

"No," Casey negates. "I'm giving you shit because you let a little boy die, you risked the safety and welfare of a rape victim, you let someone's attacker get away, all because you couldn't bear the thought of anyone hurting your precious partner!" Her nostrils flare and she almost sneers. "She took the job knowing one day it might cost her life, you honestly..."

"I get it," Elliot says, an evil grin on his face. "You're jealous? Novak, whatever you thought...or felt...you're wrong. I thought of you as a friend, that's it. Now I...I don't even really think of you as that, so...back off Liv, huh?"

Casey swallows hard, her face flushes and she rolls her neck. "Just make sure you tell the fucking truth in the courtroom, Stabler. Don't play the hero. Alex screwed up, she needs to pay for it."

Elliot nods. "I'd never lie under oath," he says.

Casey scoffs. "Unless it was for Olivia, right?"

"Well, we're never gonna know, are we?" he asks, his voice a bit more gravelly than he intends.

"Never say never," Casey spits back. "Tomorrow. Seven AM, Benson," she gives Olivia a small scowl, "Wear a damn suit tomorrow, would you? That dress would cost us the case."

The unit looks on in shock as Casey leaves, then they look at each other trying to make sense of what happened. "Never a dull moment in this place," Amaro quips, folding his arms.

Rollins moves forward and looks at Elliot. "Can I have my desk back now?"

Elliot squints at her, but he rises. "I should go take a look around my new office anyway," he says as he backs away from the desk. He looks at Olivia. "Come with me?"

Olivia smiles at him, then looks toward Cragen.

The aging captain checks his watch, then looks back to her. "Consider it an early lunch." He ignores the giddy grin on Olivia and Elliot's faces as they leave hand-in-hand, then he folds his arms. "The rest of you have work to do," he says. "One case closes another opens."

"And so it goes," Munch says, answering his ringing phone. He takes the name of his caller as he looks out into the hallway, smiling as he watches Elliot kiss Olivia just before they walk out of view.

* * *

><p>"It's weird, isn't it?" Olivia asks, lifting a snow globe into her hand from off of the desk. "Not having Tucker breathing down out necks now?"<p>

"Maybe for you," Elliot shrugs. "I'm used to not having him around." He tosses a few files into a box on the floor. "But part of me is really gonna miss butting heads with him."

Olivia narrows her eyes and picks up a picture frame, turns it around and asks, "He kept this?"

"Guess so," Elliot shrugs, taking the photo of himself, Olivia, and Tucker out of her hands. "Maybe it was the only time he really felt that we liked him, or that he liked us, or maybe he just kept it because you look fucking amazing in this dress."

She rips the frame back from him as he laughs and she puts it back down on the desk. "Just don't let this job go to your head like it did his, okay?"

"Baby," he says, pulling her into him suddenly, "It's just a job. I'm gonna do my job, and then I'm gonna go home, get naked, and crawl into bed with my gorgeous, sexy girl."

"You'd better be talking about me," she teases, her hands pulling at his tie.

He grins and nips at her lips, then drags his teeth down and across her neck. "On second thought," he breathes against her skin, "Why wait until we get home?"

She moans, her eyes fall closed, and as much as she wants to tell him it's a bad idea, she can't. She's become absolute putty in his hands. She feels him pushing his hands up her dress, like he had in the alley hours ago, and she suddenly remembers the lace that used to be her underwear is still on the ground behind the bar.

He moans as his fingers brush over the hot, wettening skin, and he sinks his teeth into her neck as two fingers push inside of her.

Her right leg rises, hooking over his hip. She feels his free hand grab it, hold it there, as he works deeper into her with his other set of fingers. "Jesus," she mutters. "What happened to doing your job?" she snips.

"Guess I still break a few rules here and there," he jokes. "A tiger can't change it's stripes."

"I thought that was a zebra," she says, moaning with each word as she's pushed against the wall.

He pulls his hand away from her, groaning when she whimpers, and he turns her around and tosses her onto what is now his desk. "Do I look like a fucking zebra to you?"

She moans in anticipation as he sweeps everything behind her off the desk and to the floor. She licks her lips as she watches him unbuckle his belt and work down his pants. "Definitely a tiger," she says, her smile lustful and her eyes hazy.

He laughs as he crawls over her, his hands slipping up her body, taking the dress with it. "I love you," he whispers, a breath away from her lips, looking into her eyes.

She stops breathing, something she's done far too often today. "I love you, too, El," she says, her fingertips playing at the nape of his neck. And as he guides himself slowly into her, she loses track of where they are, of what time it is, of what's waiting for her downstairs, and she truly believes that everything she has ever wanted is in her arms, it always has been.

She just needed to realize it.

**A/N: The end. **


End file.
